Along for the Ride
by FontGirl
Summary: Essentially my take on how the Marauders met and what preHogwarts life was like. It covers the events leading up to the first year, from shopping in Diagon Alley to the ride aboard the Hogwarts Express, showing how the Marauders became friends, and intro
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: All of the HP characters as well asthe HP universeare of course the property of J.K. Rowling. All rights are hers, I am merely a fan who is intrigued by the lives of the infamous Marauders. So, without further ado, may I present...

**The Early Years of the Marauders**

Hogwarts, c. 1959

In the office of Professor Minerva McGonagall, on her desk, a quill suddenly rose into the air, as if being lifted by an invisible person or force. It glowed green for an instant, then soared through the air and stopped, point down, on a blank piece of parchment, in a large, open, parchment book. It quivered for a minute before writing down a name in neat, curly script.

_James Potter_

Over the next year, every few weeks, the quill would quiver and then write a new name. By the end of the year, the once-blank parchment was almost full. The opening lines read:

_James Potter Sirius Black Lily Evans _

_Remus Lupin Severus Snape Peter Pettigrew_

And so on and so forth it went, three names to a line, all the way down the page. They were the names of children born with magic in them, the next generation of Hogwarts witches and wizards.

* * *

Eleven years later, Professor Minerva McGonagall examined the large parchment book on her desk, flippingthrough it until she found what she was looking for. She gently pushed aside the magical quill that was on her desk, next to the book.

"Do you have the new list?" Albus Dumbledore, a tall, thin wizard with incredibly long, white hair and beard, asked, standing just inside McGonagall's office.

"Yes." Professor McGonagall answered, as she skimmed through page after page, finally finding the one she was looking for. "Here they are Albus, all turning eleven."

Dumbledore walked over to her, his magnificent blue robes with moons on them, dragging slightly on the floor. He skimmed the page over her shoulder, and smiled. "Ah!" He exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"We'll have an exceptionally great batch of first years this year."

"How do you know? Don't all of the students start on equal footing?"

"My dear Professor, I can guarantee you these coming first years have amazing prowess and intelligence. We have an exciting seven years ahead of us."

Professor McGonagall frowned. He hadn't really answered her question. If she hadn't known him for all these years she might have questioned him even further, but she had learned you just need to have faith in Dumbledore. "I'll send the owls." She announced, exiting the office.

Dumbledore smiled to himself as he watched her leave. _Oh, yes, this will be interesting._


	2. Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

August, c. 1970  
12 Grimmauld Place, London

"You cheated, Andromeda!" A boy of barely eleven shouted, shoving the entire Diagon-opoly game to the ground, in a clear exhibition of the fits of temper spoiled children are often prone to.

"No, I most certainly did not! You're just too young to understand the complexities and intricacies of the game."

"I'm not too young!"

"Dear cousin, you're not even old enough to go to Diagon Alley by yourself. Which is why it is no wonder that you are so dreadful at the game! I, however, am an adult, able to do many things you cannot." Andromeda replied with a smirk, flipping her beautiful, long blond hair over her shoulder.

"_Barely_. You're hardly adult yet! I reckon it takes more than age to be grown up. And I'm only a few years younger than you are!"

"Six years, Siri, six."

Sirius Black, of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, responded in a manner most characteristic for a descendent of such a rich and respected family: he crossed his arms over his chest, squared his jaw, jutted out his lip, and pouted. "NO! Five and ten and a half months, if a day!"

"OK, sure, Siri, you got me." Andromeda's dark grey eyes glittered with barely concealed mirth. "You're a trip little cousin, you know that?"

"I'm _not_ little! I am eleven years old!"

"And I am seventeen."

"Only for like two weeks, right? So you're not a real adult."

"Well, yes, but—"

"Ha! I win this argument. Score one for Sirius." Sirius stuck his tongue out at her. "And anyway, you cheated Andromeda! You blatantly cheated! You're just trying to distract me from exposing you for the cheater you are!"

"Sure, whatever, Sirius. I told you that I did not cheat; you are just awful at the game. This "cheating" nonsense is just you not wanting to face the fact that maybe you're not good at _everything_. Maybe you're old enough to learn to take responsibility for your own shortcomings. And where did _you_ learn the word 'blatantly'?"

"From a book." Sirius responded haughtily, lifting his chin, daring her to contradict him.

"Oh really?" Andromeda asked challengingly, raising an eyebrow. "What book?"

_Damn! I knew she wouldn't give up that easily._ "I don't know. _Some book_. They blur together after awhile."

Andromeda snorted. "Sure coz, sure, I believe you."

Sirius glared at her, but thought it wise to switch subjects. "If I'm so young, why are you hanging out with me? Why not got chat it up with my mum or your sisters?"

Andromeda paused and lowered her voice slightly before answering. "Because you're one of the only sane members of this godforsaken family. I don't _usually_ mind spending time with you. I have to be around my sisters at home, why would I be around them now, when I don't have to? Plus, Siri, to be quite honest, your mum is, well, she's _a special sort of person_."

Sirius snorted. "Tell me about it. I can't wait 'til I'm at Hogwarts."

Andromeda smiled. "You'll like it. It's nice to get away from the Black Family craziness."

"Not that I'll get that far." Sirius drawled. "You're already there—"

"Wow, thanks for making me feel so special. Sorry you can't get away from me."

"No, you don't understand…I just meant that you're my family too—"

"And I'll be encroaching on your Hogwarts fun."

Sirius glared at her. "You know that's not what I meant! I was just trying to make a point."

Andromeda laughed. "Calm down, Siri, I was just teasing."

Sirius pouted slightly. "Well, I don't like it!"

"Fine, whatever, get on with your point."

"Oh, I will. As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted by someone trying to pull a guilt trip, someone who shall remain nameless…"

"Sirius Black!"

Sirius waved his hands in mock surrender. "Anyway, you're going to be there for your last year, Narcissa's starting this year, and my dear brother Regulus will be going next year." Sirius replied, a bitter edge entering his voice, as his eyes darkened. "The only thing I have to be thankful for is that Bellatrix isn't there anymore."

"Eh, I'm sure you won't be forced to spend every waking moment with your little brother—or Narcissa or me, for that matter, so relax." A brief grin flittered across her face. "Neither will I, though soon enough."

"Why not?"

Andromeda flushed. "OK, I'll tell you, but only if you promise not to tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?" Sirius asked innocently, eyes lighting up at the thought of a juicy bit of gossip.

Andromeda lowered her voice to barely more than a whisper, and leaned in close so that s her mouth was almost touching his ear. "I'm getting married, right after this last school year ends."

"How is that a scandalous secret? The whole family will be all happy and fawning over you—"

"No, there's more…much more."

"Well then spit it out already!" Sirius prompted eagerly.

"OK, well I'm getting married to a…" She lowered her voice even more. "To a muggle-born."

Sirius jerked his head up with a gasp. "Ohhh…your mum is gonna kill you!"

"Sirius, shh! Don't broadcast it!"

"She's gonna kill you dead!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Sirius!"

"She—"

Andromeda shoved her hand over Sirius' mouth. "Shut up. You promised not to tell! I haven't told _anyone_ in the family!"

"Haven't told anyone in the family what?" A high-pitched voice asked.

"Bella, go away!" Andromeda snapped.

"Why?" Bellatrix challenged, staring down at her younger sister through heavily-lidded, suspicion-filled eyes. "You two are up to something. I can tell." The nineteen-year-old crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her younger sister expectantly.

"No, we're not. That's a side effect of being a paranoid harpy; you tend to find insignificant events to get all hot and bothered about." Sirius retorted.

"One day you'll grow up and learn to talk respectfully to your superiors, Cousin. One can only hope."

"Nah, that does not quite fit my style, Bella. I'm only respectful to people who deserve to be respected. That currently doesn't include crazy sadists like you."

"Oh, I'm a sadist, huh, _little boy_?" Bellatrix asked, smiling at him. "I suppose you could be right about that. There really is nothing better than making impudent, smart-mouthed little brats cower in pain. Remember your sixth birthday? And your seventh? And…well practically all subsequent birthdays and family celebrations?"

"Go to hell."

"Ooo, does the little baby have some bite to him after all?"

"Yeah, and I'd be more than happy to show you—"

"You're threatening me?"

"Catch on quick, huh?"

"I can just tell your mum, you know!"

"Go ahead!"

"Maybe I will. It's so sad, that your own parents like me better than you, their firstborn son. How's that feel?"

Sirius had already jumped to his feet, hands balled into fists, towering over her. "It feels _fine_."

"Just go away, Bellatrix!" Andromeda snarled, slowing standing up to her full height, and stepping between the two of them and drawing her wand, causing Bellatrix to draw back a step at her younger sister's more impressive height and intimidation tactics.

"I would not be so rash, so quick to shout insults were I you, Andromeda. Mother would not take kindly to your attempts to disrespect and bully me, her firstborn child, nor would she like your secretiveness. Shall I tell her that you and cousin Sirius are in here, whispering conspiratorially to one another about your new plots to embarrass the family?"

"You have no idea what we were talking about!"

"Don't I?" Bellatrix asked challengingly, a haughty smile on her face that made Sirius want to smack her.

Andromeda glanced over at Sirius as if to draw some composure from him; Sirius saw the flicker of fear in her eyes. "You're bluffing."

"Am I?" Bellatrix grinned evilly. "I'd suggest you be nicer to me. Otherwise…well, let us just say that the outcome would not be very desirable. For either of you."

"I told you twice to get out of my sight, and I'm giving you one last chance." Andromeda said, her voice low, her eyes cold. She raised her wand and pointed it straight between Bellatrix's eyes. "I'm of age; I can cast hexes at my will, and you damn well know that I'm better at off-the-cuff hexing than you. So I'm going to be extra kind and give you to the count of five. One…two…"

"I hate you both!" Bellatrix snarled, but the quaver to her voice and panic in her eyes made her overall less able to be taken seriously. "You'll pay for this one day!"

"The feeling's mutual!" Sirius retorted.

"Three…"

Bellatrix began to back up slowly.

"Four…this is your last warning, Bellatrix."

Bellatrix cast one look at Andromeda's wand, and one over her shoulder at the door, before turning and storming out of the room.

"And don't you dare tell any of this to mum, or I _will_ come after you when you're sleeping!"

"That was fantastic, Meda! However, I hate that brat!" Sirius vented to Andromeda, after making sure Bellatrix was out of hearing range.

"I know, but we still have to put up a pretense of liking her. Or at least tolerating her. Or she'll be a bad enemy to have. Believe me, I've lived with her for years. She's nosy, she's infuriating, and she's vicious. Plus, our parents love her dearly. It's a pretty bad combination; she basically gets away with everything. But look, Siri, you promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Of course I wont, Meda. Why would I alienate my favorite cousin?"

Andromeda smiled. "I knew there was a reason I liked you. Flattery always helps."

"Yeah, I've noticed girls really dig that 'being nice to them and giving compliments' thing."

Andromeda laughed. "This is very true. I—"

"SIRIUS!" Sirius' mother's screeching voice cut through the air, interrupting Andromeda.

"WHAT?" Sirius replied. To Andromeda, he lowered his voice and muttered, "Bellatrix probably tattled on me. Like always."

His mother stormed into the room, hands on her hips, scowling at him. "There you are, boy! Hurry up if you actually want school supplies. Otherwise you can just go with an empty trunk."

"Oh, that's right! OK, OK, I'm coming!"

"Good." His mother replied, dryly, before offering the little twitch of her lips—what constituted the closest thing Cassiopeia Black had to a smile—to Andromeda. "Hello dear. Your mother was looking for you. Seems our minx Bella was given quite a shock."

Andromeda winked at Sirius as she followed Cassiopeia out of the room. "I'm sure. You know Bella...always up to something."

* * *

A/N: I recently re-wrote some of this chapter to reflect the new canon of HBP, wherein it states that Bellatrix is the oldest of the sisters. I therefore changed the ages of both Bellatrix and Andromeda, and changed Bellatrix's dialogue accordingly, to reflect her older age. I will do this sort of tinkering to other early chapters as I find the time.


	3. Pureblood Pride and Prejudice

Diagon Alley

"MUM! Dad! Come quick!" James Potter bounced up and down on his heals in front of the window for _Quality Qudditch Supplies_. "Look, it's the new Nimbus 1001! Just released the August!"

"James, honey, you know that you are not allowed brooms your first year." His mother chastised, coming up behind him.

"Aw, mum, c'mon! Please!"

"You won't be able to even use it there!"

"So! I would still be able to _say_ that I have one. Plus, I could always sneak it—"

"Oh, no, no, you better not, James!"

"I was just joking." James said sullenly, crossing his arms, sulking, and looking the epitome of a long-suffering child. "It's OK, just kill my dreams…I'm sure my self esteem will build itself back up…one day."

Jenna Potter smirked. "I'm glad."

"One day…far off in the future…after my self-image has become so pour that I turn to the drink…"

Jenna laughed outright. "Michael, do you hear your son?"

Michael James Potter came up behind his wife, grinning. "Sure did. Come, Jen, let us just get him the broom. The kid is trying so hard…"

"You always want to overindulge him."

"Come now, Jen, you're trying our son to the drink!" Michael said, laughing.

James, feeling that rush of happiness that always came when the tide was about to turn in his favor, knew it was time to clinch the deal. Turning to his mother, looking up at her with doleful eyes, he solemnly said, "Yes, mum, you are. My spirit…it's breaking…" He dropped his hands to his sides and looked mournfully at his feet.

Jenna rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, but was smiling. "Oh fine, James, go ahead! Just stop giving me that 'I'm-so-innocent-and-horribly-oppressed' look!"

"Yay!" James whooped, jumping up and down excitedly. He gave his mother a huge hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He offered her a big smile. "That better?"

Jenna shook her head. "All I can say is: it's lucky that you have melodramatic exaggeration down to a science. And it is also very lucky for me that you are an only child."

"Aw, you wouldn't want another one just like me?"

"And as big a troublemaker?"

"That just goes without saying."

"I can barely handle one of you, let alone two!" Jenna said jovially, walking towards the door of the store. "Now, come, let's go get you your broom."

"Well played, Son, well played." His father said with a smile, clapping James on the back, and following him into the store.

* * *

"They let just anyone into Hogwarts nowadays, do they?" Orion Black asked, while his son rifled through the latest Qudditch magazine, in line at Flourish and Blotts to pay for his schoolbooks.

Sirius glanced up from the article on the brand new Nimbus 1001 brooms, just out last Thursday, and on limited release. "What, Dad?"

Orion inclined his head in the direction of a family standing a few feet away, looking confusedly from one of the many shelves of books to a sheaf of parchment which was obviously a Hogwarts school list. The father, a tall, thin man with dark brown hair, was mumbling about how the books on the list seemed "so strange, so foreign." The mother, a pretty, thin woman with short, dark red hair was chattering enthusiastically with one of her daughters, while the other stood just behind them, arms crossed, face set, looking entirely put-upon and annoyed to be there. Sirius caught snippets of their conversation, the mother asking questions such as "wherever are we going to find all of this stuff—caldrons, robes, potion ingredients?" The daughter had her back to Sirius so all he could tell was that she was tall and thin, like her parents, with a long mane of thick, blood red hair, was patiently telling her mother, "We'll find it eventually, mum. I'm sure someone here will help us out. Indeed, one of the witches working there seemed to notice the family's confusion as well and went over to help.

Orion snorted. "Mudbloods. The vilest sort of half-breeds."

Sirius frowned and looked back at his magazine, not wanting to engage in this inevitable conversation.

"Hogwarts has certainly gone downhill since our days." Cassiopeia assented. "Used to be they had standards."

"It must be that new Headmaster they hired." Orion mused. "I'd heard about his soft spot for mudbloods."

"It's always a shame when a pureblood gets such…ideas."

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I, personally, do not know why they would ever accept mudbloods into school, Uncle." Narcissa Black commented, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder. "As if they could ever measure up to _our_ kind."

"You're a good girl, Narcissa." Orion said kindly, putting an arm around her shoulders. "A girl with pride in who she is, and what she stands for, understanding that blood will out. A true Black. I just wish my oldest son were more like you."

Sirius shifted uncomfortably. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Narcissa smirk at him.

"Hopefully he will, Uncle. He just needs to learn to take pride in being pure-blooded."

Sirius' lip curled in disgust; he could no longer concentrate on his magazine.

"Yes, Cissa, he does need to take more pride in his stock. Sirius is a grave disappointment, a great disrespectful lout, who does not understand his privilege. Who, in fact, takes his lot in life for granted, and conspires with those who besmirch the name of wizard." Cassiopeia agreed, reaching out and shoving Sirius. "Boy, you hear me?"

Sirius' flared his nostrils and counted to ten to keep his temper before responding. "_Yes_, _mother_."

Sirius glanced around quickly and saw that they had roused the attention of some of the shoppers milling nearby, and some of those already in line with them. He blushed slightly, embarrassed. The daughter of that muggle family, the one with the long red hair, had turned around; she caught his eye. The girl was…striking. She had a warm, beautiful face, but it was those eyes which really struck him as remarkable. They were brilliant green, a shade Sirius had never seen before, full of light and mirth, and piercing; Sirius felt as if she was looking right through him.

"Don't take that tone with me, Boy! There's no law that says I can't slap my son in public."

"_Yes,_ _mother_."

"Well, Boy, what is your response then? Surely you do enough mouthing off at home; you can't be at a loss for words now."

Sirius glowered at her. "I do have pride in what I am and what I stand for. It is you and your pureblood mania that I don't have pride in." Sirius responded resolutely, knowing he would be hit for saying so, but not caring. "I understand that people don't choose their parents and just because someone has a parent who happens to be _muggle-born_, does not mean they are a bad sort." Sirius pointedly used the proper term "muggle-born", rather than the slur "mudblood."

Sure enough, as Sirius had known it would happen, Cassiopeia hauled off and slapped him across the face. Sirius just stared her down, his jaw set stubbornly, though his cheek stung and his eyes tingled with forced back tears. "Are we done?"

Cassiopeia nodded haughtily. "I think you've learned your lesson."

"Oh yes." Sirius replied, bowing his head in a feigned gesture of defeat. "Quite."

When he looked up again, everyone had gone back to minding their own business, making a big show about pretending not to have seen the events which had just transpired. Well, everyone except for that pretty red-haired muggle-born girl. She just stood there, head cocked to one side, a peculiar expression on her face, her piercing green eyes locked on him. After a moment, she frowned and shrugged her shoulders at him, her eyes showing a hint of sorrow on his behalf. Finally, she looked away, and Sirius felt as if released from a spell.

_Who is she?_ Sirius wondered.


	4. Good Looks and Loneliness

"Are you sure we can afford all this?" Remus asked softly, glancing up from his list of school supplies.

Rhea Lupin smiled at him, gently pulling him into a hug. "Anything for my only child. I am so proud of you, getting into Hogwarts!"

Remus shook his head, sending his shaggy, light brown hair flying. "I didn't think I'd be able to…because of my…disability."

John Lupin put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Remus, don't call it that. It was just an unfortunate incident. Life throws us things like that sometimes, to make us better people. It's not going to stop you in the long run. You'll see. You just have to stay strong, Son. And we Lupin's, we're the strong silent type."  
Remus smiled slightly at that. "I'm just surprised they let me in. I don't really know why they did."

"Because Albus Dumbledore is a good man. They should really make him Minister of Magic; things would be much better for all of us. He's one of the few people who actually treats everyone equally, he can look past the blood one has blood to the person they are. Blood doesn't matter, not in the end. All that matters is if you are a good person. If Dumbledore were Minister…well you wouldn't have to check in with the Beast Division once a year, a shameful practice if you ask me…"

Remus shrugged, looking slightly less woebegone. "It's not that bad, Mum, really."

Rhea gave him a smile tinged with sadness. "It's not fair for you to have this kind of burden, especially at so young an age." She kissed the top of his head. "It'll make you into a good man though, I have no doubt. I just want you to study hard and be on your best behavior… you'll have loads of friends if you just be yourself. Who wouldn't want to be friends with such a kindhearted, intelligent, handsome boy like you?"

"Yes, you did inherit the classic Lupin good looks from your old man." His father agreed.

"With my mind." His mother countered. "Remus, honey, I know you'll love it there, just as your father and I did."

"But don't forget to have fun!" His father added, clapping Remus on the back. "I think we need to lighten the mood here. How about after we're done getting your school things, we go for dinner in honor of your acceptance to Hogwarts."

"Where, Dad?"

"Your choice. Wherever you'd like."

"But the cost—"

"I think we've got more than enough money to treat our son to a celebratory dinner."

Remus beamed at his parents; his first real smile all day. Sure he had been excited about getting accepted to Hogwarts, especially with his "problem," but the gloomy thoughts had begun to slip into his mind…that he wouldn't have any friends, that people would _know_ and therefore ostracize him, that if they didn't know already, they would find out turn against him. He was sure that they would turn against him in the end; people always turned against him eventually. However, for the first time he had _hope_, hope that maybe things would be okay for him. Maybe for the first time, people would want to be his friends, not bully him or avoid him. Avoidance was by far the worse though; sometimes he wished that other people would hurl insults at him or beat him up because then at least he would have some kind of human contact with kids his own age. But perhaps…perhaps Hogwarts would be different…and for some reason, he had a strange feeling that it would be.

* * *

A/N: Wow, I didn't realize how depressingly I painted Remus' existence out to be…aw, show of hands, who wants to line up to give him hugs? ;)


	5. Contraversial Parenting Techniques

"Ah, Orion Black." An slick voice commented as Sirius and his family walked out of Knockturn Alley, some time after the sting of Sirius' public humiliation had faded. "And the always charming Cassiopeia."

"Abraxas Malfoy." Orion greeted, shaking the man's hand. "How have you been?"

Cassiopeia inclined her head at him. "We have not seen you about lately."

Sirius glanced up from his magazine at the sound of the name; it sounded vaguely familiar. He had bought it in part because he _was_ a Qudditch Enthusiast, of course, but also partly because he could ignore his family and remain indiscreet by reading it. They tended not to lecture him if he blended into the background. He was just glad that Bellatrix had taken his brother, Regulus, to get food so that they were not able to pester him while he read. He was getting very sick of Bellatrix; she always in his business.

Sirius studied the stranger and suffice it to say was greatly put off by him. He had a very intimidating presence, and that was something, coming from Sirius, whose own parents gave off a highly menacing air. The man was tall and powerfully built, with close-cropped hair so blond it was nearly white. He was incredibly pale, with a pointed face and cold, dark, eyes; he was eerily reminiscent to pictures Sirius had seen of corpses. Malfoy radiated wealth, even more so than the Blacks: he wore a thick velvet cloak over flowing black robes of the finest silk, which just served to make him appear even bigger, dragon hide boots shod his feet, dragon hide gloves encased his hands, every clasp and button on his clothing was made of silver, and he carried a long black cane topped with a silver snake's head with sapphires for eyes. He wore a cold, haughty expression, and his mouth seemed to be permanently twisted into a grotesque sneer. Sirius gave an involuntary shudder and quickly turned back to magazine. Malfoy did not look like the kind of you ever wanted to cross.

"Yes, indeed, I've had to do some…housekeeping." Malfoy was saying in that slick, raspy voice of his, that chilled Sirius to hear. "Let us just say that these Ministry raids are becoming rather tiresome…"

Cassiopeia nodded in agreement. "Undeniably. I've heard these stricter guidelines regarding possession of so-called "Dark Artifacts" has something to do with that new Auror they've hired. Alastor Moody."

"Hopefully someone will be able to…dare I say it…take care of him?"

Cassiopeia gave a harsh laugh. "Oh that would be magnificent."

"So what brings you lot here?"

"We're here getting our eldest son's supplies together for his first year at Hogwarts." Orion responded.

"May your son get Slytherin, like mine. The only one which is still pure nowadays."

Sirius rolled his eyes and brushed his long hair back behind his ears impatiently.

"If the boy can manage to do one simple thing right, he will get in." Cassiopeia said disgustedly. "Else it would disgrace the name 'Black'."

"It's good to see another wizarding family with standards."

"Quite right. We just saw the most absurd little mudblood and her family shopping for Hogwarts supplies." Orion commented.

Sirius gritted his teeth in irritation at the way his father spoke of that pretty little red-haired girl.

Malfoy nodded. "Indeed. The school's standards have certainly become much more…lax since our days. It has much to do with the new headmaster there from what I've heard. He can't tell the right sort from the wrong sort, not at all."

Sirius rolled his eyes. He really disliked this man.

"That is the same conclusion I have drawn, as well. We had to come here anyway for school supplies, for only top-of-the-line will do for a Black, even a wayward one." Orion explained. Orion gestured to Sirius, who knowing his father was about to call attention to him, pointedly chose to look back down at his magazine.

"Tell me about it. It is always disappointing when a child does not meet your expectations. My own son often left a great deal to be desired, until I realized more discipline was just what was needed. Now he's on the right track. Isn't that right, boy?"

"Yes, I do suppose so, father." A new voice, younger, responded dryly.

Sirius glanced up over his magazine to see the speaker. It was unquestionably the man's son. He was a tall, lithe boy of seventeen or so, with the same pale, pointed face. He had long, white-blond hair, nearly as long as Sirius' own, and cold, gray eyes, glittering with malice. A bored expression was on his face, his mouth twisted into that same cruel sneer as his father's. Sirius instantly disliked him; however, upon glancing around, he discovered that he was probably the only one who did…well, except for Andromeda.

"Ah, Andromeda." The boy said, silkily, eyes lighting up, a lascivious smile taking the place of the sneer.

"Lucius." She responded, rather curtly.

He sidled closer to her. "And how was your summer?"

She inched closer to Sirius. "Fine. And yours?" She asked, with a tone that flatly said she did not care in the least how his summer was.

"Oh, glorious, went traveling with father to the best sites all over the country. We stayed in, of course, the finest hotels, and—"

Sirius got the strong feeling that this kid, Lucius, just liked to hear himself speak. Andromeda, judging by the thinly veiled disgust apparent in her face, had much the same line of thought.

"Ah!" Malfoy exclaimed. "So you two know each other?"

"Yes, father, this is Andromeda Black, in my year."

"Oh, _this_ is the famous Andromeda I've heard so much about over the past few years."

Sirius almost laughed at the look of utter horror and revulsion which passed over Andromeda's face. His parents, however, looked excited at the prospect of the pureblooded Lucius Malfoy showing an interest in their niece. Narcissa, on the other hand, looked somewhat crestfallen.

"Andromeda, you minx!" Cassiopeia exclaimed heartily. "You never told us you were acquainted with Abraxas' son! That's wonderful!"

Andromeda gave a forced chuckle. "Er, yeah, Auntie, I, um, must have…forgotten."

"You silly girl." She responded, surprisingly good naturedly. "Abraxas, we simply must have the families get together sometime, what with the kids so fond of each other and all!"

"Definitely. We'll make a night of it, perhaps over the Christmas holiday?"

Orion nodded. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

"Well, Orion and Cassiopeia, it was great seeing you again."

"Same here." Cassiopeia replied.

"Come, Lucius." Malfoy called out, and Lucius gave one last smile to Andromeda—a smile she most assuredly did not return—before following his father.

Sirius looked at Andromeda and began to laugh. "Aw, looks like someone fancies you, Meda."

"Shut up!" Andromeda retorted, blushing furiously.

"But it was so cute!"

"Shut up!" She snarled, eyes flashing.

"He was head over heals for—"

"Sirius, shut up!"

"Aw, I can just picture you together—"

"I said SHUT UP!" Andromeda shouted.

"Sirius!" Orion barked. "Stop harassing your cousin."

"Yes, one can only hope you find an acceptable pureblooded girl to take for a wife while you're at Hogwarts." Cassiopeia snapped. "It's wonderful that Andromeda has found such a perfect suitor; we could not have asked for better. A Malfoy, Andromeda, very nice indeed!"

"Er, yeah, Auntie, thanks." Andromeda mumbled sullenly.

Sirius snorted.

"Shut up!" Andromeda hissed. "If you mention him one more time, I _will_ hex you, favorite cousin or not."

Sirius nodded, trying to act contrite, but could not help it. He began to laugh, despite Andromeda's angry glares. He laughed until a spectacle nearby captured his attention…

"Severus!" A man's harsh voice shouted out. "Come on, Boy, we're going!"

Sirius turned around at the sound of the commanding voice, interested by the prospect of someone else having to undergo public humiliation at the hands of their parents. That same feeling of innate dislike he had felt for the Malfoys came flooding back to him when he caught sight of the man. He was tall and gaunt, pale, with a great hooked nose, and thick black hair; he looked almost like a vampire. His eyes were dark and cold, holding more than a hint of malice. His mouth was hard set and his lips were curled upwards in disgust, revealing rows of uneven teeth. The man stood with perfect posture, arms crossed over his chest, an intimidating vibe emanated from him. Something about him repulsed and angered Sirius, but he could not put his finger on exactly what it was; unconsciously he took a step back and away from the stranger, about to follow his parents.

Sirius then he caught sight of what was unmistakably the man's son: a boy about his own age standing quite a ways from his father, shoulders slumped, with the air of someone trying their hardest not to exist. The boy was tall and thin, appearing sickly and sallow of complexion. His face looked odd and not quite right, and Sirius soon realized that was because it was mottled with bruises. They must have been fairly recent Sirius guessed, due to the fact that there was swelling still, which made his face look not look proportional, giving it a puffy appearance in places. He had long, stringy, greasy hair and purposely held his head so that it fell like a veil over his face, covering fresh black eyes. Sirius wondered what he could have been doing to get that far gone…a rough game of Qudditch perhaps? Maybe he'd taken a tumble off his broom from high up.

Like his father, or even more so, there was something Sirius strongly despised about the boy, for reasons he couldn't pinpoint or explain. He held a great tome in his hands, raised so close to his face that his long hooked nose was touching the pages. The boy seemed to be deeply engrossed in the book, so much so that he had not heard his father's call.

"Come here, Boy!"

When the man's son, Severus, once again did not respond to his father's summons, the man smiled grimly.

Sirius, who had been slapped quite often in his childhood for his tendency to get angry easily and mouth off to his parents, had never seen an incident like what next befell the man's son. The man stormed over to the boy and grabbed him viciously by his shoulders. He wrenched the huge, thick book from the boy's hands and smacked him in the back of the head with it before throwing it contemptuously to the ground. The boy stumbled forward with the force of the blow, putting one hand covered with barely healed cuts to his head and holding the other up as if to shield his face. His dark eyes were wide, yet seemed dull and devoid of life. His father snatched him by the arm and dragged him away so forcefully that Sirius was surprised that he didn't hear the crack of bone breaking. He turned away when the man began to berate the boy, loudly and colorfully, while the kid seemed to shrink into himself, cowering, eyes glazing over, looking very much like a dog that had been beaten into submission so often that the pain no longer fazed it. The boy just turned his face down towards his feet, clutched his hurt arm to his chest, and neither said nor did anything.

Sirius looked over at his family to see what they thought of the display; his parents looked undisturbed, even approving as they walked away, largely ignoring the event. His mother even muttered something about how "a little discipline was always good for an impudent child. Narcissa also looked unsurprisingly unfazed. The only one who seemed feel that the display was out of line was Andromeda, who watched the scene with her eyes narrowed, disgust written in every line of her face. She finally could no longer watch when she saw the man raise his hand, balled into a fist, to his son, and looked away, catching Sirius' gaze.

"Pig." Andromeda muttered bitterly. "Talk about disgrace to wizardkind…"

Sirius nodded his assent, looking back to see the end results of the man's special kind of discipline. He had apparently finished punishing his son for not having come running at his call, and was heading into Knockturn Alley at a brisk trot. The boy watched him until he had gone a few yards, his face impassive. When he appeared to be a safe distance away, the boy reached down and gingerly scooped up his book from the ground. He meticulously brushed it off to make sure it had not gotten any dust or dirt into its leather binding. The boy straightened slowly, and this time, the caught Sirius watching. He stared at him with those dark, fathomless eyes, and seemed to hold his passing glance, much like that pretty red-haired girl had been able to. The boy, Severus, glowered at him menacingly and curled up his lip in a distinct sneer. That was the last trace of pity Sirius felt for the boy; Sirius narrowed his eyes and glared at him in return before turning away and striding after his parents.

_There's something I really hate about that kid!_

* * *

Severus Snape was more than used to his father's…controversial parenting techniques. Incidents much like it had had happened many times before, and would undoubtedly happen many times in the future. Truth be told, that was actually considerably mild a reaction from his father; after all he _had_ been ignoring him, while perhaps not intentionally, the acts still spoke for themselves. Severus had felt pretty good about this beating, for aside from a slight throbbing in his head and the sharp pains which now shot through his arm, he was injury-free. Probably he had dislocated his shoulder, sprained some muscles in his arm, or at the very least got another hairline fracture, but that would heal up in no time, and leave absolutely no scarring, which was definitely a plus. He almost wished the physical harm would have been prolonged and more serious, because then he would not have heard so much of his father's shouted insults…those were by far worse than any physical beatings. However, he was glad to find that years of verbal insults had desensitized him a little bit; they seemed not to sting so horribly after the ten millionth time.

No, by far the worst thing about this incident was that it had been in front of that spoiled little rich boy. Public humiliations were one thing, public humiliations in Diagon Alley quite another, but public humiliation in front of a snotty rich little pureblood who would be in his year at school was by far the worst of the worst. He had seen that boy, seen the swagger with which he had walked, seen the prominent family to which he belonged, and knew his type from the moment he had seen him walk by…and Severus was sure that the boy had not taken the time to even notice him at all. No, the boy was probably so wrapped up in his magazine, deciding which new broom to cajole his daddy into getting, that he had not noticed that there was anyone else in the world. He was conceited, Severus was sure, and undoubtedly spoiled rotten. He probably thought that he was the only person in the world that mattered because he was young, rich, and pureblooded. Snape hated him.

Severus, as a half-blood, the child of a simpering, weak witch, and an abusive, muggle father, despised his background, wanting so much to be pureblooded that he loathed those who had that good fortune. The boy only furthered his loathing for he was just as haughty, obnoxious, and arrogant as ever a child from that kind of upbringing could be. He stood there in clothes made of the finest, most expensive materials, his parents holding books filled with the finest school supplies money could buy, looking very arrogant and bored, and constantly playing with his long, black hair. Just because he was good-looking and rich, he probably believed he could get anyone to do anything for him. Severus hated him from the moment he lay eyes on the boy, hated him for everything he stood for. Severus was finally so disgusted he had been forced to turn his attention to his book; a rare tome on the Dark Arts his mother had acquired for him at his request.

To further add to Severus' innate hatred for the boy, his father had beaten and berated him not only in public, in Diagon Alley, but in front of this boy, the very object of everything Severus hated in the world! The boy had stood there, openmouthed, and _watched_ as his father went on one of his all-too-frequent tirades. Severus had even seen _pity_ in the boy's eyes! _Pity!_ Like Severus would want pity from someone like _him_. The boy was probably going back to his mansion, getting pampered by his caring parents, and having a great laugh at Severus' expense. Severus knew his type and hated him. The worst part of it was that this boy had witnessed a very private matter, and would undoubtedly spread it all around the school, and Severus would have to spend seven years at the school with him! They would both undoubtedly be in the same house, Slytherin, as well, for everyone knew Blacks always were sorted into Slytherin. Severus had been so excited to finally be able to leave home, and now there was _this_ to look forward to.

_I really hate that boy!_

* * *

A/N: I redid this entire chapter due to the new canon presented in HBP, about Snape's being poor anda half-blood. I also thought it would be interesting to bring in Lucius and set up the Lucius and Andromeda slant.

Please review with your opinions on the change!


	6. One of His Moods

"Can I go to the Qudditch store, now?" Sirius asked, bored and irritable.

"Alone?" Orion asked, only moderately surprised, but enough so that he stopped looking through the newest ingredients at the Apothecary to turn to face his son.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I'm not a little kid. I am sure that I will not get lost or abducted or something. Besides, if I did get abducted, you'd probably rejoice in it." Sirius grumbled darkly.

Cassiopeia arched her eyebrow. "Yes, I suppose we would throw quite a party." She replied, dryly, with a bitterness to match Sirius' own. Sirius shuddered slightly; he had no doubt she was probably thinking about how disappointing it was that he _hadn't_ been abducted as of yet.

"Aunt Cassi, Uncle Orion, I'm sure little Sirius will be fine." Andromeda spoke up. "He's getting into one of _his moods_ anyway, and we all know how much less we can tolerate his company when that happens. He gets all sulky, tetchy, and generally obnoxious."

Sirius scowled at her. _'One of his moods'? _"I don't have 'sulky' or 'tetchy' moods, and I resent the implication that I do, and that I have them often." Sirius said waspishly, crossing his arms over his chest and sulking.

"See, look at you! You're having one right now."

"Am not!"

Andromeda ignored his protest. "Maybe it'd be best for us all if we let him wander for a bit to cool off." After this, she slyly winked to Sirius, to prove that she was actually trying to fight for his cause for temporary freedom.

Cassiopeia nodded in agreement. "Good thinking, Andromeda. He certainly is grating on my nerves more than usual. Orion?"

Orion was staring at Sirius suspiciously. "What're you going to do at the Qudditch store?"

"Look at the new broom I can never get, I 'spect."

"What new broom?"  
Sirius sighed and held up his magazine. "Nimbus 1001. Just came out about a week ago. Fastest, grandest broom on the market." Suddenly, inspiration hit him; he could turn this into something in his favor. "Everyone wants a Nimbus 1001. All of the richest, pureblooded wizards at Hogwarts are getting them. Lucius Malfoy's dad just got him one, I heard."

"The Malfoy's bought one, hmm? And this is rare, is it?"

Sirius nodded, lying through his teeth. In all likelihood, Lucius, whom Sirius had been forced to meet on several occasions as the Malfoys were good friends with his parents, being the spoiled git that he was, probably did cajole his father into buying him one, especially since it was his last year at Hogwarts, but Sirius did not know for sure, of course. However, he could see that his father was looking unnerved at the thought that another pureblood family had bought such an expensive item for their own son, an item the Blacks had not bought.

"Yeah, it's a limited promotional edition…" Sirius wanted to inwardly cringe at what he was about to say next, but he really wanted that broom and there was only one way to get it. "And did you see how many mudbloods were begging their parents for one? There were so many clustered around the store…"

Sirius felt sick at using the horrible term, but his words had gotten the effect he wanted. Narcissa gasped, putting a hand to her mouth, his father flushed, and his mother looked absolutely livid. He saw Andromeda flash him a shocked and reproving glance at the use of the term. She clearly understood why he had said it, but certainly did not condone it; after all her fiancé was a muggle-born!

"No filthy little mudblood will _ever_ outshine a Black!" His mother cried out.

His father, too, looked shaken. "Sirius, you go to the store and tell them—tell them to charge it to the Blacks' account."

"Yes, yes, I agree, Orion, even if we dislike the little brat," Cassiopeia inclined her head at Sirius, "a Black always gets the best of the best of whatever the item, and never, ever, is upstaged by a mudblood, not while I am living!"

His father nodded at him. "Run along then, boy, and get that broom. We shall see whose blood will out!"

Sirius turned to leave, wanting to hurry as soon as he could before his parents changed their minds. Andromeda followed him to the door, grabbing him tightly by the arm on his way out. "What?"

Andromeda shook her head disapprovingly. "That was low. Even for you."

Sirius glared at her. "Like you've never tricked your parents into getting you something you wanted. I just know how to push their buttons."

"You used a term you swore to me that you'd never use again. I hit you for it when you were six and I will not hesitate to do so again." Andromeda said harshly, a vaguely sad look in her eyes betraying her apparent anger.

"Look, I didn't want to say it, you know I didn't…but it worked."

Andromeda nodded. "Yeah, it worked. You gonna pull the same thing again the next time a new broom comes out?"

Sirius, disliking being made to feel guilty, glared at her, but he felt too upset with himself to make it too menacing. "No, OK, I won't. Sorry, I didn't want to say it, but…you can't deny the method worked."

Andromeda smiled at that. "That is very true. And we're OK, if you've learned your lesson."

Sirius gave her his most woebegone, puppy-dog eyed, innocent expression. "Yes, ma'am, I have."

Andromeda laughed outright. "Go and get your new, fast, top-of-the-line broom."

"Oh, I'm going!"

"And Cousin, you do realize that you're not even technically allowed a broom at Hogwarts?"

Sirius gave her his patented mischievous grin. "Sure do. But looks like mum and dad forgot."

Andromeda laughed as he turned and flounced out of the Apothecary.


	7. The Dream Team

Sirius walked out of Quality Qudditch Supplies absolutely enamored with his brand new Nimbus 1001. He reveled in the "ooo"s and "ahh"s he received from all of the other kids with their faces practically pressed up against the glass, staring at the window display model of the expensive broom. He rejoiced in the awestruck and jealous looks lavished among him by boys even several years older than him, as he walked out of the store, holding his prize aloft, a triumphant smile on his face. He had done it! He had actually managed to connive and deceive his parents into buying him a broom worth probably hundreds of Galleons more than he was. He doubted that even his wanted poster would pose such a reward as the cost of the broom, if he were to ever be a criminal. To put it mildly, Sirius was feeling the grandest he had ever felt in a very long time. Sirius was so taken with his new broom, was staring at it so intently as he walked along Diagon Alley, that he did not even see the boy holding an identical broom and walking in the same, utterly absorbed and unconscious to the world, until he and the boy collided.

"Ouch!" Sirius exclaimed, walking right into the boy.

"Hey, watch it!" The boy exclaimed, while making a desperate dive to catch his broom before it hit the ground. Sirius did much the same gesture, though the boy's move from the broom was much smoother, much more fluid motion that Sirius' wild grab.

"Hey! You've got one, too!" Sirius exclaimed.

The boy smiled, hazel eyes lighting up behind wire-framed glasses. "Yeah, a Nimbus 1001…I can barely believe it!"

"Luckily, we both caught them, so no blood need be shed over the incident."

The boy chuckled, running a hand through his untidy black hair. "Very true. The scuffing of a brand new, top-of-the-line racing broom is more than grounds to fight. I'm James." He extended his hand and Sirius shook it. "What's your name?"

"Sirius."

The boy, James, crinkled his nose at Sirius. "'Serious'?" The boy repeated, disbelievingly.

"Yeah. So?"

James snorted. "That's a weird name. Serious. What kind of parent comes up with that kind of name?" James laughed, derisively.

Sirius crossed his arms over his chest and regarded James with the haughtiest look in his arsenal. As he was a descendent of the Black Family, he indeed had quite an arsenal of haughty looks at his disposal. The look he fixed James was akin to his mother at her most withering. "Actually, it is not weird, it is unique. And as there are about a million other Jameses in the world, all taking away from the potential you could achieve under your own name, I would say that my name is just fine. After all, there is only one Sirius in the world, me, so whatever I do, people will remember me." Sirius felt an excitement rising in his veins at the thrill of a good putdown, and decided to cap it off by pulling rank. "Furthermore, I am of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, the eldest son in the direct line…what are you?"

James' eyes had darkened in annoyance at having been told off. He jutted out his chin and surveyed this long-haired, haughty boy, with his most petulant, peevish, spoiled child look, perfected over 11 years of practice. "I am James Michael Potter. My family is among the richest and oldest wizarding families in existence."

Sirius narrowed his eyes to slits while James glowered at his rival. Neither said anything to the other for several moments, for both had realized they were deadlocked. They were of equal status; their families were about equal in prominence, wealth, and length of existence. Neither seemed to want to be the first to speak; they were each attempting to stare down the other.

Finally, James could stand it no longer. "Well your name is still stupid!" He blurted out.

Sirius fixed James with the most supercilious expression he could muster before responding. "Yeah, like I am really gonna listen to a kid who can't even manage to brush his own hair."

Both were silent for another moment, however, this time they looked at each other more appraisingly than angrily, sizing each other up.

"I _do_ brush my hair!" James protested, huffily. "It just doesn't obey brushes."

Sirius laughed. "Sure. I bet you don't even _own_ a brush!"

"I do so! You're just…dumb!"

Sirius snorted. "That's the best insult you can come up with? I must say, Jamesie, I am a bit disappointed. I thought you were a worthy opponent."

James laughed; there was something he liked about this exceedingly haughty boy. "Yeah, I am a bit disappointed in myself. I blame it on a lack of sleep…and the distraction of having a Nimbus 1001 at last!"

"OK, OK, I can abide by your excuses, because a Nimbus is definitely more than enough of a reason to be distracted. I hope next time you'll be able to live up to your opening insults."

"Oh, I assure you I will, my oddly named friend."

"Well then good, my crazy haired friend." Sirius always gave as good as he got. _Always._

Sirius liked this boy. Sure they had gotten off to a rough start—OK, actually a good start, then a bit of a rough patch—but hey, everything was good now, and that was what mattered. They just jived really well together; Sirius thought he saw a bit of himself in this messy haired kid. Well, a bit of himself, personality wise, because Sirius knew he was better looking. Clearly. He was sure anyone would be able to say so, for after all, wasn't it so very obvious? However, it was weird meeting James, but in a good way, because in eleven years the only real friend he had was Andromeda, and she was family, and a girl, so that didn't really count. But this James kid was the first boy his own age that he seemed to like off the bat, which was cool. Furthermore, he actually was not afraid to challenge Sirius, even pick a fight with him…Sirius was excited that there was another boy his age who could hold his own against him, who would even insult Sirius first! He admired James' spirit and tactlessness, for it was so much like his own. Plus, James had the same broomstick as him, so James _must _have good taste.

Sirius gave James his trademark roguish grin. "So, what do ya want to do now?"

James' eyes sparkled as his gave Sirius a similar rascally grin. "So much mischief, so little time."

Sirius liked his style.

_Yeah, I reckon James and I'll definitely get along well._


	8. Collision Course

Remus smiled as he exited Flourish and Blotts, a set of brand new schoolbooks in his arms, only to narrowly avoid getting thrown to the floor by two overzealous boys around his age. The youths were engaged in what could probably be considered a lethal game of tag, for both were on broomsticks, in the middle Diagon Alley, making vicious swipes for each other. He swerved out of the way of a boy with glasses and a mop of unruly black hair, only to collide with his comrade-in-arms, a taller, lankier youth with long, sleek, black hair and a laugh like a bark.

_Why don't they have any supervision?_ Remus wondered. _These two obviously need some. _

"Whoa! Sorry mate!" The boy exclaimed, getting up from his crumpled up position on the floor and flipping his long hair over his shoulder with a slight toss of his head. He gave his bark-like laugh. "Guess I was getting a little reckless…caught up in the game, y'know."

Remus frowned and gingerly sat up as well, before starting to scoop up the books which had fallen out of his hands at the collision, giving no verbal response.

"Hey, I can help you; the least I can do, o'course…" The long haired boy said nonchalantly, making a slapdash grab for a few of the books. "_Standard Book of Spells Grade 1_…you starting at Hogwarts or something?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah I am." Remus replied distractedly, checking to make sure none of the covers of his books had been damaged.

"Wicked. It's my first year, too. And James'." The boy gave a nod in the general direction in which the boy with glasses had gone, while he casually tossed Remus' book from one hand to the other.

"Oh, um, grand." Remus replied. "Hey, watch it! You're gonna mess it up and I just bought it!" Remus reached for his book.

The boy smirked at him. "Aw, what's wrong? I'm not gonna drop it or nothin'."

"Serious! What happened to you?" The boy with the unruly hair and glasses had returned, smoothly pulling up his broom right next to the long-haired boy's elbow.

The long-haired boy was so startled that he misjudged his own throw and Remus' book clattered to the floor. "Whoops! Sorry!"

Remus gave a sigh and retrieved the book, flattening out one of the now-bent corners and brushing it free of dirt with his hand.

"I didn't mean to drop it, y'know…and really, if you think about it, it was all James' fault! If he hadn't come up all wild and unexpected, trying to make a grand entrance—" The boy chattered on; Remus thought he seemed the type that liked to hear himself talk, the type who needed to be the center of attention, no matter what.

"Trying to make a grand entrance?" The boy, James, echoed. "Yeah, sure, Serious. It seems like you made a grand enough entrance for the both of us…what _did_ happen? You fall off your broom again?"

"No." The long haired boy replied petulantly, jutting out his chin in defiance.

James laughed at him, nimbly alighting from his broom without incident. "You're such a liar. Honestly, I'm surprised you parents would buy a Nimbus 1001 for such a disaster-waiting-to-happen."

The long-haired boy frowned at James. "Hey now! I resent the implication that I am a klutz!"

"Are you saying you're not one?"

"No, James, I said nothing of the sort, only that I resent the implication that I am one, regardless of whether I am or not."

"I suppose there was some sanity in that run-on sentence somewhere." James shrugged. "I couldn't tell you where though," He added with a wry smile.

The long-haired boy stuck his tongue out at James, but decided it might be appropriate to change the topic. "So, Jamesie, this kid here's going to Hogwarts, too."

"Oh, really?" James surveyed Remus with interested hazel eyes from behind wire-rimmed glasses. "So are we. I'm James, and this is my incurably clumsy and all-too-hyper friend, Serious."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "That's his actual name?"

"Apparently." James said dryly.

"Yeah, so?" The long haired boy, Sirius, challenged.

"Nothing, it's just interesting…"

"Well what's your name then? Something horribly common, I've no doubt. Probably Paul or David or something of the like."

"Actually, it's Remus." Remus replied, a bit affronted.

James and Sirius stared at Remus for several seconds without saying anything.

"OK, now I don't feel quite so bitter about my name." Sirius announced, giving his bark-like laugh.

James looked from Sirius to Remus and back again. "Wow am I lucky my parents are sane."

Remus felt that old familiar feeling of being ostracized coming back to him. He had not known these two boys for more than a few minutes and already he was being ridiculed, laughed at, mocked. More than sad, however, this time he felt angry. Who were these two kids to make fun of his name; they didn't even know him! This was almost worst than being condemned because of his "problem," although if he was going to school with these two, it was likely they would eventually find out and ostracize him for _that_ too.

Remus looked these boys over while they laughed at him and instantly regretted his curiosity. His gaze took in their expensive clothes, made of the finest, most likely imported fabrics, their slightly scuffed shoes worth more than Remus' entire wardrobe combined, and finally, their broomsticks. It registered in Remus' head what type James had professed them to be: Nimbus 1001, the newest model on the market, a prototype limited edition, the fastest broom there currently was. Just one of them probably cost more than that of his parents' combined income of every year he'd been alive. It probably cost more than Remus' whole house…and here they were, two kids his own age, who each owned one and were just gallivanting around Diagon Alley with them out in the open. If Remus had one—not that he would ever be able to afford one, not in a million years—but _if_ he had one, he'd have it locked up in a case of unbreakable glass, most likely.

Remus was suddenly all-too-aware of his shabby robes, old, frayed around the edges, patched in many places, and losing their color. He thought about his unshorn hair, flopping into his eyes, in comparison to Sirius' long, stylized and product-filled coif, and suddenly even James' untidy hair seemed to be just the kind of hairstyle a rich boy would have, as if to say 'I've got so much money that I don't even need to bother with fashion, I can _set_ it.' Remus felt all-too-out-of-place, standing there, radiating poverty. He had felt so glad to finally be able to get his set of books for school in brand new, mint condition, a feat his parents had never been able to manage before…they had saved up for months, he was sure, so that he would not have to come to Hogwarts with _secondhand_books, secondhand like everything else he owned…and now he just felt sick at the thought that these two boys had probably been able to buy whatever they wanted, brand new, without batting an eye, while he had felt so excited over just having new books. Remus felt suddenly very exposed, very much lacking in comparison to these boys, and had to remove himself from the situation as soon as possible.

Remus quickly gathered up the rest of his books, looking forlornly at the bent corners of the one Sirius had dropped. "Um, hey, it was…nice meeting you both, but I've got to get going."

"Oh, so soon?" Sirius asked, surprised.

"Yeah, you don't want to han—" James began, but Remus interrupted.

"Oh, yeah, I've got to go and meet back with my parents. They'll be wondering what took me so long to get my books…"

"Oh, OK." Sirius replied, a bit despondently, a slightly hurt look in his eyes.

"Well, it was nice meeting you." James said haltingly.

"Yeah, yeah it was." Remus replied, and quickly turned and hurried on his way.

"See you at Hogwarts!" Sirius called out brightly. Remus nodded, but just before he moved out of earshot, he heard Sirius ask, concernedly. "James, did I say something?"

Remus did not wait to hear James' response.

* * *

A/N: I think I can understand how Remus felt…however I feel a little bad for Sirius. Poor kid thought it was his fault.


	9. Never Beg

"What time is it?" Sirius suddenly asked, a tone of urgency in his voice. He halted his broom so quickly that James almost collided with him, luckily pulling up and away at the last moment, in a fantastic display of control.

"I dunno, why?"

"Because I need to meet back up with my family."

James glanced around for the sign of a clock, finding one in the window of a nearby store. "It's almost five thirty, mate. Yikes, I should probably be meeting up with my own family!"

"I—I have to go. Now." Sirius informed him hurriedly, leaping to the ground and pulling his broom into his arms. "I'm gonna be late…" He appeared to be bordering on distraught; his eyes were wide, as he looked around him worriedly.

"Oh, well, OK." James responded, a bit surprised at his sudden haste. "I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts then?"

Sirius brightened considerably at that. "Yeah! Definitely!"

"Wicked."

"See ya later!" Sirius called out, giving James a cheerful wave before dashing off down Diagon Alley.

"Bye!" James responded, watching him run off. "Strange kid, that Serious." He chuckled to himself. "Serious. What a trip. Wonder what his parents were thinking when they came up with that one…or what they were drinking, might be more appropriate."

James smiled amusedly, slinging his brand new broomstick over his shoulder and sauntering off to meet up with his own parents, humming a jaunty tune to himself.

_It's so great to be me._ James thought, his smile broadening.

* * *

"Where _have_ you been?" Cassiopeia snapped.

"Why do you care?" Sirius retorted.

"Because with that attitude it leads one to believe that you were out consorting with the most vile of mudbloods and blood traitors."

"Well I wasn't!"

"Something about your history of lying, shaming the family, and general insubordination tipped me off."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Whatever, _mother_."

"I would suggest you just answer my question, unless you want me to take back that nice new broom of yours. Where have you been?"

"Diagon Alley."

Cassiopeia's nostrils flared and she gritted her teeth. "Well yes, that part is obvious."

"If it was so obvious why did you ask the question then?"

Her eyes flashed. "Boy, just answer the question."

"I believe I did. You asked where I was, I told you. Simple as that."

"Fine." She hissed. "Who were you with, then?"

Sirius hesitated.

"Ah ha, I knew it!" His mother exclaimed triumphantly. "You _were_ consorting with mudblood trash then, weren't you?"

"I'm sure he was." Bellatrix piped up. "He's always been one to besmirch the family honor, Auntie."

"Why don't you shut the hell up and stay out of it?" Sirius snarled.

"Don't you dare talk to your cousin that way, Boy! Especially not one who so clearly has her priorities in order." Cassiopeia rebuked.

"Her priorities in order?" Sirius laughed. "Yeah, sure, if having my priorities in order means "I want all of the witches and wizards who aren't pureblooded dead", then I guess they aren't. And personally, I would rather die than believe that tripe."

"Oh, tripe is it?" Bellatrix echoed scathingly, staring at him unflinchingly through heavily lidded eyes. "Yes, it's just that sort of thinking that'll make you some formidable enemies, _dear cousin_."

"If I'm going to make enemies because I am _tolerant_ of others, than bring on the enemies."

Bellatrix smiled menacingly at him. "Don't worry, they'll come soon enough, you keep carrying on like that."

"Yeah, well I hope so; I'm dying for a good fight."

"You always were a mere boy of talk rather than of action."

"Uncle Orion!" Andromeda called out alarmed, knowing that Bellatrix and Sirius' argument was heading in a dangerous direction. "Uncle Orion, they're fighting again!"

"That's enough!" Orion Black shouted, storming over, and stepping in between the two. "I will not have this constant in-feuding between cousins, cousins who should be united by the purity of their blood. Boy, apologize to Bella so we can all get on our way back home already."

Sirius' face contorted in revulsion. "Apologize to _her_? Why me?"

"Because you're always the one who causing trouble to start with."

Bellatrix smirked. "Yes, come on, Little Siri, let's hear you beg for my forgiveness."

"Never! I will never apologize to you for anything, and under no circumstances in my life will I _beg_."

At this, his father and mother both looked at him with slightly surprised expressions. Unless Sirius was very much mistaken, there was a hint of…approval in his parents' eyes. This idea struck him a very frightening indeed; anything his parents approved of could never be good.

"Well now, Son, I do not believe I have ever heard you utter anything worth commendation."

Sirius and Bellatrix both gaped at him, Sirius confused, Bellatrix angry.

"However, you are quite right that a Black never, under any circumstances, begs for anything. Maybe there is promising character to you after all."

"I wouldn't hold my breath for that, however." Cassiopeia said disparagingly.

"Ah, unfortunately, I would not either, Cassi. However, it is a step in the right direction for you, Sirius."

Sirius was too disgusted and appalled to respond as he followed his family towards the Floo Grates to exit Diagon Alley.

"You'll beg one day." Bellatrix hissed at him. "You'll beg, beg for your life one day, mark my words."

"Oh, right, I'll be sure to do so." Sirius responded, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, because I'm so scared of you."

"You should be." Bellatrix snarled.

"Oh shut up and go suck up to my parents some more! See if you can't get yourself further into the Will."

Bellatrix glared at him, shoving Sirius roughly aside as she swept passed him.

"Psychotic, that one." Sirius bitterly commented to Andromeda.

Andromeda looked at him, worried. "Siri, I wouldn't be so quick to pick fights with Bellatrix, were I you."

"Why not?"

"Look, it's just not a good idea. You don't know her like I do—"

"I'll pick fights with whoever I feel like, Andromeda!" Sirius replied crossly. "Stop trying to be my mother or something, I already have more than enough of one already."

A vaguely hurt look passed over her eyes for an instant, before her eyes hardened into a glare and she set her jaw. "Fine, do whatever you want Sirius, I don't care. Go, be a big man, go pick fights with people older and more trained and talented than you, and see how far you get in life. Really smart that is, Sirius, really smart."

Sirius scowled at her. "I just…she pisses me off."

"Yeah, well she pisses me off too but I don't go starting rows with her all the time."

"I hate her!"

"So do I, but once again, I don't go picking fights with her every time I see her. It's just…it's not smart, Sirius, you understand? Just ignore her. I promise that'll make her madder; she likes getting into arguments."

"Are you sure she can get any madder?"

Andromeda chuckled in spite of herself. "Obviously I didn't mean it like that."

"But it's not any less true."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all of the kind reviews so far! Keep 'em coming!

I'll try and correct my earlier chapters to correspond with the new canon from HBPm as soon as I can, but I figured you would all want a new chapter first.

**Remussweetie**: Thank you for your diligent reviews of practically every chapter, and for being my first ever reviewer! I agree, Sirius is just so utterly _Sirius_, and that's why we all love him, plus little Sirius Black would be quiteadorable. I'm also glad you enjoyed the James/Sirius fight (I had fun writing that one).

**Carnivalgirl**: Wow, thanks for the compliment on how I portrayed the characters! You really think I am writing them faithfully to who they actually are? On a side note, yeah, it was mean of James to make fun of Remus' name (and Sirius', too), but kids at that age are mean, and James is so sheltered and privileged (aka a bitarrogant and ignorant) that I reckon he sees the world a bit differently than the rest of us at that age. Oh, and don't worry, Remus will find some happiness...well, not extremely soon, but in a couple of chapters or so. ;)

**SquidSophieSkills**: Thanks for being the first person to mark me as a favorite! JKR mentioned the pen and notebook in McGonagall's office that records wizard and witch births for future Hogwarts enterants, so I figured it would only be proper if the story started with that seemingly superfluous scene.

**Jamie88,** **NoTeS SiStEr**: I'm glad you like the story so far!

Thanks to everyone else who has taken the time to read _The Early Years of the Marauders_! More to come very soon!


	10. To Kill a Remoose

c. September 1, 1970  
Kings Cross Station

"JAMES!"

James, having just stepped through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾ only seconds before, halted at the shout, and looked around the crowded platform, trying to discern who had just called him, or rather, hollered for him. Ah ha! There…farther down the platform, bouncing on the balls of his feet and wildly waving his hands to get James' attention was the boy he had met at Diagon Alley only days ago, that kid with the weird name…Serious. Yeah, Serious, an odd name for a kid who seemed to be anything but serious, a kid who seemed to be so full of energy that he barely knew what to do with himself.

"HEY!" James shouted back, cupping his hands around his mouth. "WHAT'S UP?"

Beaming, the boy bounded in his direction, plunging through the crowds with reckless abandon, long black hair flopping into his face. Sirius shoved people unceremoniously out of his way, almost knocking a vaguely familiar looking boy with light brown hair onto the train tracks, but by seizing his arm at the last second, arrested the boy's decent. With a sheepish grin and a good-natured shrug by way of an apology, Sirius continued to make headway in the crowd, disappearing from James' view for an instant, and reappearing by his side a moment later.

"Heya!" Sirius greeted James, a bit breathless, grinning widely. "I made good time."

James snorted. "Wow, real smooth, Serious, real smooth."

"Well I try." Sirius replied self-assuredly.

"No, that was meant to be sarcastic. What happened? You almost killed Remus."

"Re—who?" Sirius frowned, cocking his head. "I don't know any…any Remooses? Remoose, is that even a word? Isn't that an animal?" Before James could respond, Sirius's eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "No, I get it! It's a joke isn't it? Brilliant! OK, James, what happens when you kill a Remoose?"

James cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. "_Remus_." James corrected. "Remus, as in that kid we met at Diagon Alley, remember? You ran into him with your broom."

"Oh! Right, right, that kid. Meek, kinda scrawny, patched up robes, right?"

James nodded. "That's him."

"Thought I was making fun of him or something and ran away. So come again, what about him now?"

"That's the kid you almost pushed onto the tracks."

"No it isn't!"

"Yes it is."

"I think I would know who I almost pushed onto the tracks better than you, James."

"Really? Why don't you have a look for yourself then?"

"Fine, not like it'll make any diff—" Sirius began, whirling around to look in the direction James pointed. "Whoa, mate, I guess you're right. Hmm, I suppose I owe him an apology or something now?"

James snorted. "Well, that would probably be a nice thing to do…although I doubt the kid will ever let you near him again."

"Why not? I did save him from actually falling onto the tracks. You saw, I grabbed his arm, no harm, no foul. So I'm a hero." Sirius declared proudly, puffing out his chest.

"Yeah, I saw, and that is all well and good…except for the fact that you pushed him onto the tracks in the first place. I would imagine that negates any heroism on your part."

Sirius brushed the thought aside with a dismissive wave of the hand. "Jamesie, Jamesie, Jamesie—"

"Could you never call me that? Ever again."

"Jamesie," Sirius continued, undaunted. "You poor, misguided boy. Heroism always wins out in the end."

"Even if you caused the potentially dangerous situation in the first place?"

"Especially them."

"Anyone ever tell you that you're completely mental?"

"You'll be shocked, I know, but actually, that idea has been posed to me quite a few times in my life."

"Oh, yes, I am shocked." James responded dryly. "Very shocked. Extraordinarily so."

"I thought you would be." Sirius replied grimly. "It's OK, sometimes people just say things to hurt others; you just can't let them get you down. Imagine, me, crazy?" He laughed at the notion.

James glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, imagine that."

"So…so silly isn't it?"

"Yes, that's exactly the word I would have used. If silly were another term for "completely true"."

Sirius chuckled. "You've got a good sense of humor mate!"

* * *

"Wow." James breathed.

"What?" Sirius prompted, looking aroundwildly for what could possibly elicit a "wow". "I wanna see!" He commented impatiently.

"Who's _that_?" James asked, nodding his head in the direction of a young, thin girl with long, thick, glossy, dark red hair and bright green eyes.

The red-haired girl wore an overlarge black T-shirt with the name of some muggle band splashed across the front in acid green letters, a pair of fraying jeans, which sagged slightly on her thin frame and were smattered with multicolored patches in various shapes, and scuffed up trainers. She shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other while she answered some rapid-fire questions from her parents, occasionally brushing locks of her long hair behind her ears and out of her face, a seeming nervous gesture. An older, shorter girl, with blond hair and fitted, immaculate clothing stood nearby, glowering at her. Her parents turned to converse for a moment, and the older girl said something to the red-haired girl, which made hurt flicker in the younger girl's eyes for an instant. Suddenly, as an irritated look passed over her face, she pulled out her wand and brandished it at the older girl, who yelped and hid behind their parents, gesticulating angrily at the red-headed girl, who merely smiled back.

Sirius Black looked over at the girl and shrugged. "Dunno. I saw her at Diagon Alley with her parents, I think she's another first year. And she's a muggle-born." He laughed when he saw the red-haired girl wave her wand at who he supposed was her older sister. "Got some fire in her though."

The red-haired girl swept her green eyes over the crowd and they rested on James for just a second. James felt as if he had been rooted to the spot; her gaze seemed to pass right through him. After a moment, she turned away. James blinked, that numbing sensation gone from his limbs, and he could have sworn she had blushed, just the slightest bit.

"Weird huh?" Sirius remarked. "Feels like she looks right through you?"

James could only nod, speechless.

"James, do you have everything?" James' mother, Jenna, a slender, graceful, older witch with straight black hair inquired, coming over to them.

"Yes, Mum."

"Your robes, your wand, everything?"

"Yes Mum."

"And who might this be?" Jenna asked, her warm gaze flicking over to Sirius.

James' mother looked over at Sirius, curiously, taking in his stormy gray eyes, mane of glossy black hair, pale skin, his overall aristocratic, somewhat haughty good looks. She also noticed his expensive clothes, down to his custom-fitted dragon hide boots. Sirius thought he saw a glint of worry flash in her hazel eyes for a moment.

"Let me guess, you're a Black?" Jenna said, slowly. "Orion and Cassiopeia oldest son?"

Sirius nodded, eyes widening in surprise and a bit of trepidation. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Oh I do some freelance work for the Ministry and everyone knows the Blacks. Cassiopeia and Orion come by quite a lot. You look just like him."

Sirius smiled slightly, and it looked a little forced. "Er, I guess so."

"Mum, this is Serious." James introduced. "We met at Diagon Alley."

"Sirius?" His mother repeated, a slight smile appearing on her face. "Another constellation name? The Dog Star, if I'm not mistaken."

Sirius and James exchanged a confused look, before both shrugging. "I guess so." Sirius responded again. "My family does like constellation names, for some reason."

"Well, it makes you unique."

"I guess so." Sirius glanced down at his boots, feeling slightly cowed, for some reason."

"Taciturn, hmm?" She remarked. "Everything all right?" A look of genuine concern creased her face.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?" She asked, kindly.

Sirius shrugged, flashing James another confused look, and a silent plea for help.

"Mum, c'mon, we wanna get on the train early so we can get a good seat!" James jumped in on cue.

"Right, right," she responded, still giving Sirius a piercing look. Abruptly, she seemed to release him from her gaze, turning and pulling James him into a big hug.

"Mum…no…geroff…" He protested, struggling. "We're in public!" He hissed.

She only laughed and hugged him tighter, before finally releasing him. "You be good, now."

"Aw, mum, I'm always an angel, you know that."

She laughed again. "Yeah, right." She turned to Sirius and offered him a kind, motherly smile. "You be good too, Sirius."

The smile was infectious; Sirius returned it more readily this time. "I will Mrs. Potter. And I'll try and keep James in line, but I can't make any promises."

James' mother laughed and pulled Sirius into a hug. Sirius, shocked, unused to such displays, stiffened for a moment, before relaxing and awkwardly hugging her back. "Um, thanks…" He said, still slightly uncomfortable, when she let go. "I'll, um, see you, I guess…"

She smiled warmly at him. "I hope so."

"Yeah, bye, Mum!" James added, pulling Sirius behind him and heading for the train.

"Goodbye boys! Have fun and try to behave yourselves! At least _try_!"

"We'll try!" They chorused.

"But I can't make any promises!" James added.

"Your mom's awfully…affectionate." Sirius murmured.

"What? Oh, yeah, she's always like that. My dad too."

"Really?" Sirius looked stunned.

"Yeah. Did it bother you? I'm sorry…"

"No, no it was cool…" Sirius replied, distractedly, a half-smile on his face.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read my story! I have recently edited some of the early chapters due to new canon info recieved in _Half-Blood Prince_, and have almost completely re-written Chapter 5 (now called "Contraversial Parenting Techniques"). I introduced some new characters and added a little interesting twist, so please tell me what you think about the re-vamped chapter, as well as commenting on this, if you are so inclined.

**SiriusBlackisalive15**: Thank you for reading and reviewing this story as well! I am glad that you enjoy my writing:)  
**Remussweetie**: As always, thank you so much for your reviews. Yes, James does not realize that it's "Sirius" not "Serious" yet; he'll find out soon. Yep, I tried to add some connections to OotP with Bellatrix, and I've tried to add some references to other later books as well, peppered throughout the chapters. Yes, I think Sirius does have a smart mouth which certainly contributes to his getting into trouble. Lastly, I believe Sirius' good cousin, Andromeda's name is pronounced Anne-drom-mah-dah.  
**Storm Front**: Thank you so much for your compliment on how I portray the characters. That I keep them faithful to the books and well-developed is the like the story!


	11. Alienating Allies

"Sirius!" Rang out a strong, strident female voice. "So that's where you got off to!"

James and Sirius both turned at the sound. James was more than a little surprised to see that the person calling Sirius was a startlingly beautiful girl of at least seventeen, tall, slender yet curvaceous, with long, silky blond hair, pale, flawless skin, and seemingly perfect bone structure. She did not look all to happy with Sirius, however, for she stood with her hands on her hips, lips drawn back into a disapproving frown, as she was glared at him, her gray eyes of a shade so dark they were almost black, flashing threateningly.

"Now, Serious, why were you hanging out with me all this time when you could have been hanging out with _her_." James remarked jovially.

Sirius frowned at him, confused. "Come again, mate?"

"Well, you didn't tell me you had such a looker for a girlfriend."

"James…no." Sirius moaned softly, shrinking back a little.

There followed a few seconds of terribly awkward silence, in which James realized he must have said something wrong, horribly wrong.

The beautiful girl's dark gaze swept from Sirius over to him, her eyes narrowing as she looked him up and down, her expression severe. Finally she spoke, her tone icy. "Sirius." She commanded. "Tell me he didn't just say what I thought he said."

"Androm—" Sirius began weakly.

"Because if he did in fact utter such a thing, a good hexing would be in order."

"He didn't mean—"

"Oh, didn't he?"

"Er…can someone please clue me in as to what I've done wrong?" James interrupted.

The girl gazed at him once more, with a look so powerfully angry James had the feeling she would have wished him nothing more than the utmost physical harm. James held his ground, however, impudently staring right back at the older girl, so impressively beautiful, yet so very fearsome at the same time. She slowly glanced away again, slightly inclining her head to Sirius, as if allowing him to answer.

"Um, James, meet Andromeda. Andromeda Black. My _cousin_."

"Cousin?" James echoed, confusedly, the new information taking a moment to fully sink in. "Oh!" He exclaimed. "She's your _cousin_?"

Sirius nodded his head. "Yeah." He replied, glancing warily in Andromeda' direction. "Yeah, she is."

"Oh." James paused, the awkward silence settling in again. "Sorry." He added, sheepishly.

Andromeda simply glared at him, wordlessly, for another few seconds; James had a strong feeling it was just to let him squirm. Finally, the corners of her mouth twitched, and she could no longer hold her severe demeanor any longer. Losing all composure, she began to laugh, a tamer version of Sirius' own bark-like laugh. Sirius, too, began to chuckle, nervously at first. James, embarrassed, not sure what he should do, gave a small, forced smile, as his face flushed. Looking at her more closely, he could now see the subtle similarities in appearance between her and Sirius…those stormy grey eyes, that chiseled jaw line, that haughty expression…

"I must say no one has ever had the daring to insinuate that Sirius and I were…an item." Andromeda remarked, giving James a smile eerily reminiscent of Sirius' own ever-ready grin.

"That's probably because you would have hexed them into oblivion." Sirius responded.

"Well that, and because I daresay that you are not my type, in the least."

"Why, because I'm not a muggle-born?" Sirius taunted, grinning back at her, seemingly having regained his daring.

"Shut up!" Andromeda snapped, glancing quickly around her. "You are _so_ lucky your mother wasn't here just now."

"Actually, I would imagine you are the one who's lucky my mum wasn't just here. She would have disowned you on the spot."

Andromeda glared at her. "Don't think there aren't things I could rat you out about."

"None of them are as bad in the eyes of the family as marrying a muggle-born." Sirius retorted, obstinately.

Andromeda ground her teeth in vexation. "I'm sure if I tallied up all the bad things—"

"Nuh-uh, I've never truly defected from the family, unlike someone who shall remain nameless—"

Andromeda glared at him. "Fine, just shut up, OK?"

"Why would I when it's oh-so-much fun to see you all freaked out?"

"Do you really want to provoke me into hexing you like I did Bellatrix last Christmas?"

"OK, OK, I'll drop it!" Sirius replied quickly, falsely contrite. Under his breath, he muttered so only James could hear, "at least for now, anyway…"

"Well c'mon then, you've got to say goodbye to the family."

"But I don't want to!" Sirius protested.

"Tough. You're gonna." Andromeda barked. "Hurry up."

Sirius gave her a defiantly sulky, petulant expression. "They don't care if I say anything to them."

Andromeda rolled her eyes, clearly irritated and in no mood to put up with Sirius' complaints. "Fine, go to school without any of your things then, Sirius, I don't care."

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I said. You left your trunk over by Uncle Orion and if you're not going to go back and get it, I certainly am not going to retrieve it for you."

Sirius glanced from James, to the Hogwarts Express, to Andromeda, looking torn. Finally, with a loud sigh and a stamp of the foot, he turned expectantly to Andromeda. "Why do you have to be like that?" Sirius griped, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because it's fun." Andromeda replied simply, smirking at him.

"But you _know_ that I hate them."

"And?"

"Andromeda!"

"You'll get no pity from me. Just grow up, give leave to your little friend, and c'mon already."

Sirius turned back to James, arms still crossed over his chest, jaw jutting out in defiance. "Bye James."

James fought to urge to laugh at the huffy, put-upon, childlike expression on Sirius' face. "G'bye mate, see ya on the train."

"Yeah." Sirius mumbled, glumly leaving to follow his cousin, slouched and dragging his feet, looking very much as if he were being ordered to the gallows. "You're an evil woman." Sirius grumbled.

"Aw, Siri, you know I take that as a compliment!" Andromeda replied, airily, leading the way back through the crowd.

* * *

"You're so mean!" Sirius complained, stopping abruptly, desperately stalling for time, as his family came into view a few feet away.

"And?" Andromeda responded, unconcernedly.

"And sometimes I think you're worse than Bellatrix!" He snapped, bitterly.

Andromeda's back stiffened and she froze in mid step. "Care to repeat that?"

"Yes, I don't care! Sometimes you're worse than Bellatrix!"

Andromeda whirled around to face him, eyes flashing.

"Or just as bad, if not worse!"

Andromeda glowered at him, nostrils flaring. "You're an _idiot_. I'm nothing like her." She hissed. "Nothing!"

Sirius was unperturbed, already angry at being ordered about in front of his new friend, and indignant about having to actually bid farewell to a group of people he hated and who hated him. Sirius had never been good at keeping his emotions in check and holding his tongue, which was partly the reason why his ears were still ringing from his mother's response to his cheekiness that morning. Already irritated, having a bad day, Sirius knew that the only thing that could make him feel better would be to make someone else miserable. Andromeda just happened to be the most readily available target.

"I'm not an idiot!" Sirius retorted. "You are!" Sirius crossed his arms over his chest. "I think you're just upset because you know I'm right! You know that you're more like Bella than you want to admit to yourself!"

"I am NOT!" Andromeda screeched, attracted the attention of several people around her. "You're wrong!"

"No I'm not!"

"Maybe it would be better if you kept your nose out of affairs you haven't the slightest clue about!" Andromeda fumed, getting into his face.

Sirius was not about to back off. "I have plenty of clues about this! You are like Bella! You're just as big a bully! You like to order me around like you're the boss of me, when you're _not_! You're not, Andromeda!"

"Sirius, now would be the time to shut your bloody mouth." Andromeda stated, her tone dangerously even, her hands clenching into fists.

Sirius was unperturbed by then signs that he had crossed a line he would not be able to retreat back from. "NO! _You_ listen to _me_. I'm sick of you always bossing me around, dictating to me, forcing me to do whatever you want! You're just as bad as her—no, worse, because I actually trusted you!"

"Sirius, I am giving you one more chance to _hold your bloody tongue_!" Andromeda snarled, her fingers closing around her wand.

"I will when you admit that I'm right!"

Andromeda raised her wand until it was level with Sirius' eyes. Sirius glared insolently back, unflinching. He saw that urge in her eyes that she really wanted to hex him, throw him back and onto the train tracks, probably. Sirius held his breath, wanting to believe that she wouldn't attempt such a dangerous, reckless act, but the anger and sheer hatred in her face made him wary. He honestly could not tell if she would actually go for it or not, and instantly regretted having pushed her so far. She was, after all, the only halfway decent member of his family, the only one he really liked. Time felt like it stood still for several seconds, until Andromeda she seemed to think better of her notion to cause Sirius intense bodily harm. Slowly, she lowered her wand, and Sirius noticed that her hand was shaking.

Andromeda glowered at him, shoving her wand into the pocket of her robes, catching and holding his glare, her gaze murderous, before turning on her heel and storming off. Sirius exhaled in relief. He watched her go with a mixture of guilt and a sense of bitter vindication, which left him feeling as if he had just ran a race. Slowly, with mild trepidation, he followed Andromeda's wake, a few paces behind her.

Surprisingly, he caught up with her within seconds, for she had been detained. Andromeda stood, her eyes still blazing angrily, just to the side of the family, halted by the rather physically intimidating Lucius Malfoy. He had stepped into her path and grabbed her by the arm, smiling smugly down at her.

"Why, fancy meeting you here, Andromeda." Lucius remarked in his oily voice.

"Yes, we are both attending the same school and you ran into me at the platform for the only transportation to school. Fancy that. What an unusual circumstance in which to see a schoolmate." She responded scathingly.

"Yes, the world is full of varied surprises…some of them are even fortunate."

Andromeda frowned. "Yes…well…I should be going…"

"Ah, you need to get the rest of your belongings in order I suppose?"

"Yes." She responded curtly.

"Quite right. Well we shall save you a seat in our compartment, that way you'll be able to reside with the right sort, not have to deal with—"

Andromeda was now looking at him in disbelief, as if shocked he could not take the hint. "Look." Andromeda said firmly, cutting him off. "I do not have time for this right now. I will see you later." With that, she wrenched her arm from his grip and pushed past him, over to her family, leaving him standing there, bewildered.

"Was that the Malfoy boy I just saw you talking to?" Cassiopeia asked, approvingly.

"Unfortunately, yes." Andromeda responded darkly.

"It's very soothing to see that you have found yourself a decent young suitor."

"Suitor?" Andromeda, echoed, blanching.

"Yes, your mother and father are very excited for your choice from what they've said."

"My choice? Malfoy?" Andromeda repeated, her head feeling as if it was spinning.

"I always knew you were a smart girl, Andromeda. And the prettiest of your sisters, as I'm sure you'll never tire of hearing."

"Oh—what?"

However, Cassiopeia was no longer listening, as she had just spotted Sirius. "There you are, Boy. Always wandering off…I reckon we haven't used enough force to keep you in line. It seemed to work for the Malfoy boy…"

"Oh, yes, mum, more beatings. That's just what I need." Sirius responded sarcastically. "If I had more beatings I would be a better person, I'm sure."

"Yes, you would undoubtedly." His mother agreed, evidently taking his words literally. "As you'll undoubtedly get into trouble at school, I wonder do they still have the old classic punishments? Whipping, being chained upside by your ankles, general beatings?"

"Not with Dumbledore as Headmaster." Andromeda replied. "He would never allow a student to be beaten as punishment." She scowled at Sirius. "Even when they deserve it."

Cassiopeia gave a sour expression. "People are way too soft these days. Especially this Dumbledore." She shook her head. "Beatings always straighten 'em out in the end…it's the only thing you can do really, with some of the bad 'uns, like this boy here." She gestured to Sirius, glaring at him.

Sirius rolled his eyes and heaved a great sigh. _Oh yes, boy am I glad I let Andromeda coerce me into coming to see the family off_.


	12. All Aboard

James watched the craziness out on the platform from the comfort of his own, empty compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express. His mother had already Dispparated some time ago; James had known she was needed early at the Ministry and promised that he would be fine if she did not wait around. His father had already gone in to be a consultant on some top-secret project there, some counter-Voldemort project, from what James had gathered from eavesdropping. They still did freelance work, even after being retired from the Ministry for some time. Now, however, he could relax in peace and detachedly watch from a vantage point while others grappled with their families…most notably his crazy friend Serious, who was looking quite harassed. James put his feet up on the seat in front of him and lounged back in his seat, in the mood to be entertained.

* * *

"Regulus, geroff!" Sirius complained, shoving back his little brother, disentangling the boy's fingers his robes. "You're like a little spider monkey…and ugh, your hands are sticky!"

The boy in question, a small, rail-thin, child of nine, was bouncing around, trying to get his older brother's attention. He could be considered cute, yes, but lacked the classically handsome overall good looks of his older brother, maybe they would come with age. He had those same grey eyes, pale skin, and arrogant look about him as his older brother, yet less defined. He wore his black hair cropped short, an effect which only served to emphasize his much finer bone structure, which gave him a fragile-looking appearance. He looked dwarfed when standing next to the much taller, much stronger, and much more imposing-looking Sirius.

Regulus had been attempting to latch onto Sirius by tugging on his robes, before being unceremoniously removed. He stumbled backwards at Sirius' shove, tripping over the hem of his own robes and landed on his bottom on the floor, his legs splayed out in front of him, tangled up in his robes. Sirius crossed his arms over his chest and made no effort to try and help the kid up, looking down upon the mess Regulus had made of his robes with distaste.

Cassiopeia promptly slapped Sirius upside the back of the head, hard enough to make a sound.

"Ow!" Sirius cried out, running a hand over his now-throbbing scalp. "What was that for?"

"Don't be rude to your brother. He's worth more than you, Boy."

Sirius scowled at her when she turned away, attempting to wipe off the sticky, gelatinous substance Regulus had gotten on his new robes. _Did she have to do it with the hand with all her gaudy rings on it?_

Bellatrix swooped in to assist Regulus to his feet, brusquely thrusting Sirius out of the way. She pulled him back into a standing position, whispering something in his ear as she did so. Andromeda, too, shoved Sirius aside.

"Do you really need to be such a prat, Sirius?" Andromeda snapped, having watched the exchange and moving forward to help.

"I doubt he can help it." Bellatrix drawled, shooting him a nasty glare. "It's an ingrained habit by now."

"Oh, Regs, are you alright?" Cassiopeia asked, making Sirius scowl once again, this time at the injustice of being considered a second-class son, while Regulus got all of the concern and adulation.

"What did he do to you?" Andromeda challenged. "He's just a little kid! And you call _me_ a bully!"

"Just look at my robes!" Sirius exclaimed throwing out his hands. "He got ice cream or whatever the hell it is all over them!"

"That doesn't give you the right to fling him aside!"

"Yes it does!"

"Why don't you grow up and stop being a git, for once?" She snarled.

"Why don't you just get over our argument and not hassle me just for the sake of making yourself feel better?"

"Oh, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius demanded.

"What's a spider monkey?" Regulus piped up, looking around expectantly.

"An arboreal monkey of tropical America with long slender legs and long prehensile tail." Andromeda repeated by rote. "Although how Sirius knew what one was is beyond me…"

"Hey!" Sirius protested. "I read books!"

Andromeda slapped him upside the head, just like Cassiopeia had, only moments before. "Don't call him that! It's cruel."

Regulus frowned, confused. "So why am I a spider monkey?"

"Because spider monkeys climb things and latch on to things and their cute appearance hides how annoying they can be." Sirius answered.

Regulus glared at him. "I'm not annoying!"

"Yes, you are." Sirius replied crossly, to which he was promptly slapped by all three women. _I hate when they all team up on me!_ He thought to himself. Aloud, he griped, "Hey, watch the hair! And my head is already throbbing, and Regulus has got whatever nasty thing he was inhaling onto my new robes, and I would appreciate it if you would all _leave me be_."

"Don't talk to me like that!" Cassiopeia thundered. "Just because we are in a public place, don't think I won't beat you in front of all your little schoolmates."

Andromeda smirked. "I'd pay to see that."

"He deserves it." Bellatrix said menacingly, glaring at him through heavily lidded eyes. "That and much more, Auntie. I think you should do it."

"I have half a mind to, Bellatrix…" Cassiopeia responded, as she briskly check Regulus over for any injuries.

Sirius stared impudently up at his mother, as if daring her to do it. He really didn't care either way…he'd be free of them soon enough, for almost an entire year. The Hogwarts Express was only a few yards away…

"Auntie, I think you—" Andromeda began smugly, before Sirius cut her off.

"Watch it Andromeda, I'm sure there's news about you that your dear sister would love to hear…"

Andromeda's eyebrows went up, and her grey eyes flashed dangerously. However, she held her tongue and fell silent.

"What's this?" Bellatrix asked suspiciously. "What's this you've been keeping secret, Andromeda?" She demanded of Andromeda, whose cheeks tinged red at the address.

"Nothing." Andromeda replied quickly.

"Somehow I doubt that."

"Wow, Bella, pretty quick to turn on your own people." Sirius remarked. As much as he was irritated at Andromeda—and she at him—he did not really want her to get into trouble with Bellatrix. She made a formidable, irritatingly persistent enemy. Sirius had no true compulsion to reveal Andromeda's secret—least of all to Bellatrix, his sworn enemy—he had only wanted to ruffle Andromeda a bit, so he came to her aid by drawing Bellatrix's attention back to himself.

Bellatrix glowered at him. "Not that it's any business of yours, little boy, since you're not among 'my own people'. By blood maybe, but not by anything else."

"Ooo…I'm so scared." Sirius responded, giving a fake yawn of boredom.

Bellatrix opened her mouth to utter another undoubtedly scathing reply, but Sirius was saved from having to deal with more with this argument that could lead to no place that was good, by the arrival of his father, with Narcissa and his Uncle Alphard and Aunt Kalista, the mother and father of Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa, who appeared to have just arrived.

"Well now!" Alphard commented jovially. "Looks like it is about time to get you lot on the train. Come now, let us say our goodbyes."

Sirius smiled at this; he always had liked the very laid back and genuinely cheery Alphard. He was probably the only other person in the family he was consistently on good terms with, for Andromeda and he definitely had their falling outs from time to time. Luckily, Alphard seemed to feel the same way towards Sirius, always giving him a decent bit of gold to line his pockets with whenever they met up at family gatherings.

"Ah, Sirius," Alphard greeted him with a smile and a pat on the back. "I'm not going to tell you to be good up at school, because that would just be a waste of breath."

Sirius grinned. "Well, at least I can't disappoint you then."

Alphard lightly cuffed his chin. "You always were a rouge one, son." He slipped Sirius a small felt bag full of Galleons. "Take that for some extra spending money, there's a good lad. And try to stay out of too much trouble…don't do anything I wouldn't do…"

"So then I can do anything, right?" Sirius joked.

Alphard guffawed. "That's the spirit, lad!" He glanced around and noticed most of the family had made their way to the train, which was now boarding. "Oh! We should hurry up then, eh? Don't want to make you miss the train and be stuck at Grimmauld Place for anther year, am I right?"

Sirius nodded, smiled and quickened his pace. _There's no way I'm getting stuck staying behind!_

* * *

James watched, amusedly, as he saw Sirius get clambered all over by a tiny sprig of a kid who he supposed must have been Sirius' younger brother. Sirius shoved the kid away, a little too harshly, James thought, as if he had been repulsed by the boy. James also saw Sirius get chewed out by what seemed to be all of the women in his family, a situation for which James' compassion went out to him. Women seemed to know exactly the place to smack you so that it throbbed for hours, and they could scream and argue better than any male he had ever known. He certainly did not envy Sirius in that instance.

James tore his face from Sirius' pitiable scene to watch all of the other kids saying their farewells to their parents and beginning to board the train. There was Remus, that kid Sirius had nearly pushed onto the tracks, getting hugs from his parents, all three dressed in some of the shabbiest clothing James had ever seen. He wondered what was wrong that they wore things like that, so patched up and frayed…he had heard about people dressed like that before…and had seen them on occasion, in Diagon Alley, but never as a whole family like that.

"They must be—oh what was that word?" James muttered to himself, thinking. He knew he had read it in a book before, and was sure his parents had mentioned the term. "It means when someone doesn't have 'two Galleons to press together'." He mused, quoting a phrase of his father's. It hit him suddenly. "Oh, that's right! Poor!" He grinned, excited. "I've never known a poor person before. I wonder what it's like…?"

He turned his attention back to the swarms of people on the platform…the first person he noticed in the crowd was that striking red-haired muggle-born girl, who seemed deeply in conversation with her mother, while her father attempted to cheer up her dour looking sister. There was a kid about his age with a curtain of greasy black hair obscuring his face, who appeared to be getting yelled at by his imposing father…an older boy with a long, white-blond hair in spotless, dapper clothes, who appeared to be nearly as rich as James' family, watching Sirius' beautiful blond cousin from afar, a dejected expression on his face…a pretty girl with long brown hair tied back with a blue ribbon, staring at the Hogwarts Express with an expression of wonderment…a short, chubby kid looking nervously around him, his hands pressed up to his mouth…and many others kids, some only with their parents, some with huge families, some getting last minute hugs and instructions, some chasing escaped pets across the platform, all chattering animatedly.

_This is going to be so much fun!_ James thought excited, bouncing a little in his seat.

* * *

A/N: Ah, now they will finally be aboard the Hogwarts Express. Look for a chapter on that (for only two Marauders are properly aquainted as of yet)...and then it will be all Hogwarts from here on out (or well, almost all Hogwarts). :)

Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far, you guys are awesome! Please continue to do so!


	13. No Respect for Said Privacy

"Women trouble, huh?" James asked with a smirk as Sirius entered his compartment, dragging his trunk behind him, while try to keep the owl cage atop it steady.

Sirius looked up at him through his curtain of long black hair, cast him a humorless smile in response, and proceeded to heave his drunk inside the compartment.

"Let me help you with that, mate!" James announced, coming to his aid, taking the owl cage in one hand, and grabbing onto the trunk with the other.

"Thanks," Sirius mumbled, as they finally pulled the trunk into the middle of the floor. Sirius stared at it for an instant, as if wishing it would move itself. After a moment, he added, "Er, we can just leave it here. I don't feel like trying to lift it up onto the racks."

"Works for me." James responded, reaching up to put the cage with Sirius' owl up next to his own, where the two owls proceeded to hoot amiably to each other.

Sirius flopped down into a seat and looked solemnly out of the window, watching as parents called tearful goodbyes to their children. His family was another story altogether; his parents, for one, had already Disapparated. Bellatrix stood with her arms over her chest, looking cross, as she argued with Andromeda, undoubtedly threatening her into revealing her big secret, which he had unthinkingly mentioned. Andromeda, taller, slenderer, and overall more beautiful than Bellatrix had both of her hands on her hips, and was giving just as good as she was getting. Finally, Andromeda withdrew a silver badge from inside of her robes, pinned it to her chest, smiled smugly, and tapped it once, with a long, manicured nail. Bellatrix curled her lip, flared her nostrils in anger, and Disapparated so fast that the displacement of air almost bowled little Regulus over. Andromeda pointed her wand at her trunk vanishing it onto the train, and gave Regulus and her mother and father a small wave before she Disapparated to some other compartment on the train. Her mother, after ushering Narcissa onto the train and blowing her a kiss, Disapparated also. As the train pulled out of the station, Alphard was the only Black left on the platform, holding Regulus' small, bony hand in his rather large one, and waving jovially to all of the family aboard.

As the train began to move, James watched Sirius' spirits seems to dwindle further; he stared out of the window, eyes unseeing, looking steadily glummer.

"Er, Serious, you OK?"

"Hmm?" Sirius asked, without taking his eyes from the window. "Oh, yeah…fine." He responded distractedly.

"You sure, mate?"

"Yeah…"

James frowned; this was not the same brash, hyper, fun-loving boy he had been hanging out earlier. "You seem upset…something you want to talk about? Serious?"

Sirius pried himself away from the window and finally looked at James. "Nah, I'm fine."

"Anyone ever tell you that you're a horrible liar?"

The ghost of a smile flickered across Sirius' face. "Yes, actually."

"I don't doubt it. So, come on, out with it! What's bothering you?"

Sirius chuckled. "You're really persistent. Annoyingly so."

"I'm sure I'll be able to say the same thing about you in time."

Sirius grinned at that. "Very true."

"So?" James prompted. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really…just family stuff, y'know…" Sirius replied lamely.

"Everyone has family stuff." James said impatiently. "But not everyone sits around moping about it when they could be…I don't know…marauding about the train, playing pranks on people and having a good time."

Sirius gave him a mischievous grin. "Marauding about the train, eh? I like the sound of that."

"Good. But first you have to fess up to whatever it is about your family that's got you all out of sorts."

"Ever heard of the term 'privacy'?" Sirius retorted, frowning slightly. "Or respect for said privacy?"

James smirked. "Nope."

"I didn't think so." Sirius sighed. "I just…I hate my family."

"That's your big secret?" James laughed. "Who doesn't hate their family on occasion?"

"No, you don't get it." Sirius said flatly. "I hate them all the time, and the feeling is very much mutual."

James stopped laughing abruptly at the look on Sirius' face. "You've got to be over exaggerating or joking or something."

"Trust me." Sirius responded, turning his attention back to the window. "I'm not."

"This sounds highly improbably and melodramatic, you know?"

Sirius shrugged. "That's my life. _You_ asked."

"Is this about that cousin of yours? 'Cause she was mighty…unpleasant."

Sirius waved his comment away. "You mean Andromeda? Oh, no, I like her. She's one of only family members I _do_ like."

"That's how you treat people you _like_?" James asked, shocked.

Sirius shrugged again as he faced James. "That's just our relationship. She's like a big sister. We have our spats, but who doesn't? Nah, Andromeda is really sweet once you get to know her."

James raised his eyebrows, skeptically. He doubted Andromeda was 'really sweet'."

"Yeah, we'll probably make up soon enough." Sirius continued. "I'm not going to apologize of course, for we always learned never to apologize for anything, but we'll just get over it and be friends again. Andromeda's going through a rough time anyway…turning against the family is always rough, but..." Sirius trailed off.

"So, if it's not Andromeda, then what?" James questioned.

"It's the rest of the family…well, except Uncle Alphard, of course. He's always been kind."

"What exactly is the problem with this?"

"Blood status." Sirius responded grimly. "That's all they think about, all they talk about, 'pureblood this, mudblood that'. It's sickening."

James felt as if a sudden chill had gone through him; now he understood the odd reaction his mother had when realizing who Sirius was. He was from one of those Dark Wizard families, the ones his parents always warned him about, told him not to associate with. They were the sort who thought only pureblooded wizards deserved to get magical schooling, let alone live; they were prejudiced against any muggle-born witches and wizards, not even thinking of them as people. They hated muggles, as well, and were even prejudiced against half-bloods, believing them to be substandard witches and wizards. James had even heard that many of these families aligned themselves with You-Know-Who, that Dark Wizard who thought those of lesser blood purity should be exterminated, and many even urged their kids to become Death Eaters. James stared at Sirius, eyes wide, looking the boy over. Could he really be sitting next to a future Death Eater?

Sirius seemed to have interpreted his look correctly; a flush crept into his cheeks and he turned back towards the window once more, leaning down slightly so that his hair fell back into his eyes.

The two boys lapsed into silence. James, too, turned toward the window, fidgeting his hands anxiously. He had heard that kids from Dark Wizard families already knew loads about the Dark Arts. James' eyes ticked nervously to Sirius direction, and back to the window. _Since_ _he knows that I know about him, will he try and curse me now?_ James wondered, unconsciously reaching down into his robes for his wand.

"I'm not, you know." Sirius said suddenly, startling James.

James almost dropped his wand. "What?"

"I'm not a…one of them."

"What?" James repeated, unnerved by the ferocity with which Sirius spoke.

Sirius whipped around to face him, eyes alit with a feverish gleam. "I'm not a Dark Wizard, a Death Eater, or future Death Eater or whatever."

"Oh?" James asked, doubtfully.

"I know you don't believe me now, but I'm not evil. I didn't say anything about my family because people always react like that; they always assume I'm bad though and through. But I'm _not_. My family might be a load of Dark Wizards, every one of them might've come from Slytherin…but not me. I'm not like them them. I swear. Honestly, I'd rather have any House—even Hufflepuff—than Slytherin." Sirius retorted bitterly.

James frowned at him. "Really?"

Sirius nodded vigorously. "I want to prove to them that I'm not like them. I don't believe in pureblood supremacy, or that muggle-borns are any less worthy of, well, _anything_. Actually, I think muggle-borns are more worthy, because of the awful way people like my family treat them." Sirius paused, looking James hard in the eyes. "I understand if you don't want to be friends with me anymore…just know that I'm not like that, whatever they say, even if I _do_ get stuck in Slytherin."

James could hear the earnestness with which Sirius spoke, could see the anger in his eyes at the injustice of the situation, could tell that he was being utterly sincere. He also remembered how even after realizing that Sirius was a member of the infamous Black family, his mother had still treated him with kindness—and even more so, compassion—after seeing that he did not appear to show the prejudice of his parents.

"Don't be stupid, Serious." He said with a chukle.

"What?" Sirius asked, confused.

"I said: don't be stupid. I'm not gonna discriminate against you because of who your family is. You can't choose your family."  
Sirius appeared extremely shocked by James' change of attitude, hesitantly agreed, "yeah, you can't. Unfortunately."

James smiled at him. "So now that all of that is settled…you up for some marauding about the train, mate?"

Sirius smiled heartily this time, his spirits lifting immensely. "Marauding? Anytime."

"Good! Then let's go!" James jumped to his feet, stepped over Sirius' trunk, and headed towards the door.

Sirius, never the one to be outdone, jumped up, leapt over his trunk, and shoved past James, shoving him to the floor. James glowered up at his friend, straightening his glasses. Sirius merely laughed.

"You've gotta be ready for anything, mate. And I won!"

"Won, what?" James retorted, getting up.

"I beat you to the door."

"We weren't racing!"

"So you say!" Sirius shot back, breaking into a run. "Only losers make that kind of response!"

"OK, _now_ we're racing!" James announced, running after him.

Sirius laughed and ran faster.

* * *

A/N: OK, so it looks like there will be a few chapters regarding the Hogwarts Express. However, James and Sirius will actually meet Lily in the next chapter (formally meet her, that is) as well as Remus.

**Emi-lus**: Thank you so much for the compliment! I'm glad you like it! Yes, I feel really bad for Remus, too. I love young Sirius (he always was my favorite character), and I really like James a lot too: he's endearing.  
**Jamie88**: Thanks! I'm glad you still like it!  
**-ShIvErInG sMiLe-**: I know, poor Sirius does keep getting yelled at, but look at his family...do you doubt he'd get yelled at an awful lot? At least Alphard has his back, as does Andromeda (when she's not pissed at him). He just has a tendency to not think before he speaks. Yeah, James is a bit of a brat, however, in the conditions which he was raised under, it's not surprising he turned out that way...he'll get better though, I promise (at least for awhile). And yeah, I pictured James as one of those kids who is curious about people different from him, and being so rich and sheltered, he'll never have really known any poor people like Remus. However, I do still find James endearing despite his flaws (or perhaps because of them).


	14. Enter the Girl

"Leave me alone!"

The shrill shriek stopped James and Sirius dead in their tracks. The shriek was punctuated by a thud, and another high-pitched cry, coming from a compartment they were just about to pass.

"I'm warning you!"

A grin quickly swept over Sirius' face. "Sounds like a fight."

James gave an equally excited grin. "Sounds like someone needs our assistance."

"A female someone." Sirius added, eyes glittering.

"Shall we?" James asked gallantly.

"Lead the way!" Sirius responded, gesturing for him to go ahead.

James was shocked at the scene which met him upon entry into the compartment. There was the strikingly pretty red-haired girl, wand at the ready, crouched down into a fighter's stance. Her expression was clearly one of anger and indignation, green eyes flashing, her mouth set in a determined line, her chin raised in defiance. Three boys about James and Sirius' own age, were advancing on her, wands also raised,

"Don't be idiotic, you filthy little mudblood!" A boy with dark, close-cropped hair barked at her.

The girl looked slightly puzzled. "Was that supposed to be an insult or something?"

"Don't call her that!" James roared, immediately taking offense in her behalf.

The boy whirled around to face James and Sirius, ice blue eyes cold. "This is not any of your business."

Sirius recgonized him as once. "You're a Lestrange, aren't you? Rabastan?" He snarled, taking out his own wand.

The boy glanced over him, lip curled in distace. "Sirius Black. A sorry excuse for a Pureblood."

"Yeah, really cut me deep, that accusation." Sirius said sarcastically. "Now, why don't you run along and leave this girl alone before I step in and make you."

"Shove off!" The girl snapped. "I don't need your aid or your condescenion!"

Sirius and James gaped at her, startled at being told off for trying to help this girl.

"There's no way you can fight all three of us at once." Rabastan remarked, with a harsh laugh.

"Oh yeah?" The girl challenged. "Watch me!"

With that, she shouted out several rapid-fire charms and incantations, whipping her wand around so quickly that Sirius and James thought they must have imagined the whole situation. The room was filled with a bright red light and for a moment James and Sirius believed they had gone blind. As suddenly as the light had appeared, it was gone, leaving in its place the girl standing haughtily across the room, while all three of her attackers lie unconscious on the floor.

"Lily Evans." The girl announced, stepping over the prone form of Rabastan and sticking out her hand to James and Sirius.

James shook it wordlessly, still gaping at her in shock.

Sirius gazed at her as if he had never seen anyone quite like her before. "You took all three of them on!" He exclaimed excitedly. "All by yourself! That was…_amazing_."

"Well, I try." She drawled, eyes sparkling.

"How did you do that?" James finally managed.

A grin spread across Lily's face. "Actually, I did not think it would happen like that—my first magical workings you know—but I was pleasantly surprised!" She replied, chattering enthusiastically. "I just concentrated and ta da! It was like…well it was like magic, I suppose!" She finished with a laugh.

James laughed along with her, something about this girl captivated him. "Yeah…magic." He ecohed, before mentally kicking himself for such a stupid response; he needed to step up his game.

"So, lemme guess…first year student, muggle born?" Sirius remarked, with a grin.

"Yes, actually, and I suppose it would be too much to ask your names?" Lily prompted, archly.

"Oh! No, of course not!" James responded, a little too forcefully. "I'm James Potter!" James gave her what he hoped was his most dazzling smile.

She smiled back, though it was much more restrained; she appeared a bit concerned at his overzealoustone. "And you are?"

"Sirius Black." Sirius responded casually, and James envied him his ease with the strikingly pretty girl. "And I must say that I must be very lucky."

"Lucky? Why's that?" Lily questioned eagerly.

"Because I was able to meet the prettiest girl on the train."

Lily blushed slightly, and averted her eyes for an instant, a smile playing on her lips. "A charmer, huh?"

"Well I try."

She laughed at that. "A _real_ charmer would come up with his own comebacks."

"Not if yours were so brilliant and ready for the taking."

"Oh, watch yourself!" She chided with a laugh, turning abruptly towards James. "James, is it? You don't happen to have tissue, do you?"

"Yeah, it's James." James responded, happy she had committed his name to memory, and hoping to please her. "Erm…maybe…" James responded, desperately searching his pockets. "I must…why?"

"Because your friend Sirius here just dripped charm all over me." She said sweetly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Oh, er, he did?" James replied, feeling foolish, but Sirius and Lily did not seem to have heard him.

"That was a quick comeback. I am impressed."

"Really now? So what does that mean exactly? Do I get a medal? Perhaps a big banner emblazoned with the words 'I Had the Fortune to Impress Sirius', and a nice party to boot?"

"Of course! Whatever the prettiest girl on the train wants, she gets. I'll even pitch in for a nice cake, because you can't have a party without cake. That would be a sacrilege!"

Lily laughed outright. "Still trying to butter me up with talk of how pretty I am?"

"If it works, why change the approach?"

"I'm sure you haven't even seen all the girls on the train."

"Point being?"

"You can't know for sure that I'm the prettiest one here. I might only be a 3 in comparison with the others. You're selling yourself short."

"Perish the thought! There could never be a girl prettier than you!"

James scowled at his laid-back friend, crossing his arms and wishing he could attract Lily as effortlessly as Sirius could.

Lily leaned forward, closer to him. "Should I let you in on a little secret, Sirius?"

"Go right ahead, Darling Lily." Sirius replied nonchalantly.

She snorted at the address. "Well, Alluring Sirius, there is a little rule of thumb regarding people which I go by."

"Yes?" Sirius prompted. "What is it?"

"That if a person seems too charming, they probably are not to be trusted." Lily finished flatly, the corners of her mouth turning up into a smirk.

Sirius could only gape at her, too stunned and taken aback at the put-down that he didn't know what to say. James, however, laughed at the retort, glad to see that Lily had not fallen for Sirius as James thought she had. He realized with a jolt that this was his turn to try and win her over.

"Glad to see you have good taste." James remarked, attempting to make his voice as even and casual as possible.

Lily arched an eyebrow at him. "Excuse me?"

"You didn't fall all over him like most girls would. You must have good taste."

"Well I'm not most girls."

"I don't doubt that."

"Good." Lily gave him a genuniely warm smile.

James beamed back at her in return, a sensation as if he had just drank a rather large cup of Butterbeer sweeping over him, and suddendly getting an odd feeling in his stomach. He decided to press his advantage, however. "Hey, why don't you come stay in our compartment?" He burst out.

Lily surveyed the compartment where they all stood, taking in the three unconscious students, her lips persued and her eyebrows knit, deep in thought. Finally she spoke. "OK, sure…I suppose it would be best to get out of here before they all wake up, hmm?"

James and Sirius laughed. "Yeah, probably." James responded.

"But if they wake up and come after you, we'll take care of them." Sirius declared.

Lily glanced at him askance, an amsued expression on her face. "I'm sure I would be able to handle the situation myself, don't you think?" She asked sweetly.

For one of the few times in his life, Sirius seemed flustered, and James was secretly glad. "Er, yeah, of course you could, but we, erm, could help."

"Ah, like a comrade-in-arms type of thing?"

"Er, yes. Definitely yes."

"Well then that it heartening. So, what way is it?" Lily queried.

"We're all the way in the back of the train." James reported.

"Yeah, I could take your trunk if you w—" Sirius began.

Lily smiled at him. "That's a very nice offer, but no need." She turned back towards her trunk and owlcage stuffed into the overhead rack, raised her wand, and gave a command neither James nor Sirius recognized. Instantly, the trunk and cage lifted up and came towards them, hovering just behind her.

Sirius whistled. "Wow."

"Thanks!" She responded, gazing at her hovering belongings in astonishment. "I can't believe that worked! This whole magic thing is so cool!"

"How did you know how to do that?"

"I read it in_The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1_." She replied, matter-of-factly.

Sirius curled his lip in distaste and stared at her as if she had suddenly sprouted an extra head.

"What?" She demanded.

"You read our schoolbook?"

"Yes, and…?"

"James, you handle this!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing up his hands and giving James his most weary, put-upon expression. "I—it's just—out of her—horrible—_before_ _school_!" He mumbled distressedly.

"Look, Lily it's just surprising—to say the least—that you've read our Charms book before classes started."

"Why?"

"Because it's unnatural!" Sirius cried out.

"Yes, it is." James agreed.

"Well, I aspire to do well at Hogwarts." Lily snapped, her tone curt.

"We all want to do well at school, but it's, well, unusual to see a kid who actually reads the textbooks before they're assigned."

Lily crossed her arms over her chest, adjusted her stance, and merely stared at him, her posture faintly imposing.

"You're taking this the wrong way." James protested. "Out of curiosity, may I just ask you something?"

Lily waved an impatienthand at him, which James interpreted as a sign for him to continue.

"Are you always an overachiever or is this just a Hogwarts thing?"

Lily waited a moment before responding. "I suppose I always am an 'overachiever' as your put it. May I just ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Did you always not brush your hair or is it just this morning?" Lily sneered.

James' mouth dropped open in surprise, taken off guard.

With a smirk, Lily turned and walked out of the compartment, her belongings flying behind her.

Sirius howled with laughter, and slapped James hard on the back. "She's got'cha there, James. Like I said before, she's got fire in her."

James didn't know how right he was.


	15. Playing Your Cards Right

Almost no sooner had Sirius, James, and Lily returned to their compartment and stowed away Lily's trunk and owl cage, and settled in to relax, when another commotion from close by soon distracted them.

"So what house do ya' wanna be in?" Sirius asked, lounging back in his chair and throwing his feet up onto another, as he removed a deck of cards from the pocket of his robes.

"House?" Lily echoed distractedly, jerking her head up from the book she was reading.

"Yeah. House. Y'know, the four houses of Hogwarts."

"Oh! I suppose Ravenclaw would be fitting. Although I daresay Gryffindor might be more exciting." She added, a slightly wicked smile playing on her lips. "What about you?"

"I'd like Gryffindor, 'cause then I'd be with James, fighting the good fight, living The Gryffindor Way and all that…but if my family has its way, it'll be Slytherin." He replied grimly. "And apparently blood always outs." Sirius concluded darkly, glaring down at his cards.

James glanced at Sirius, eyebrows raised, concern creasing his forehead, but said nothing.

Sirius removed them from the pack and methodically began to shuffle them, purposely averting his eyes from the others.

Lily frowned at the bitter tone to his voice and his odd actions, but knew better than to press what seemed to be a sore spot for Sirius, especially since she did not really know him—although it nearly killed her to _not_ _know_. "What about you, James?" She tried to change the subject.

"Oh he'll be in Gryffindor." Sirius cut in, his tone acidic, still not hazarding a glance at the others flicking through the cards. "The Potters are _always_ in Gryffindor." He tossed the Ace of Spades onto the seat next to him.

"They are?"

"Sure. Don't you know about the Potters?" The King of Diamonds joined the discarded Ace of Spades.

Lily shook her head. "No."

Sirius looked surprised, but that quickly changed to understanding. "Ah, yes, I forgot you were muggle-born." Another flick and the Queen of Spades joined the in the slowly mounting stack by his feet.

"So?" Lily snapped.

Sirius caught her gaze and held it, a smirk forming at the corners of his mouth. "Easy. Don't get your knickers all in a twist, I meant no offense. Honestly. See, James and I are both from wizarding families, two of the oldest and richest. And, as sure as Potters will always be in Gryffindor, Blacks will always be in Slytherin. It's like fate or something." He paused in his slow shuffling of the deck, frowning at the Nine of Diamonds. Lily noted that it was with apparent reluctance that Sirius allowed the card to join the pile at his feet.

"Why are you doing that?" Lily suddenly burst out, struck by the Sirius' seemingly out-of-the-ordinary actions.

"Doing what?" Sirius asked, shuffling again. "Shuffling? 'Cause it's relaxing I suppose."

"Well yes, that and the whole picking out and removing certain cards."

"Because he's saving them to cheat later." James remarked jovially, not at all concerned or disturbed by Sirius' peculiarity.

"Am not." Sirius retorted. "And I dunno why I am. It just seems like something to do."

Lily opened her mouth to push the matter further when raised voices from the compartment next door drowned her out.

James jumped up, eager to _finally_ get a good fight in, as Lily had braved her own battle.

Sirius grinned, evidently thinking the same thing, and gathered up the discarded cards, sliding them under his top card, the King of Hearts. "Yes! Some action."

"You two are honestly going to run out and plunge headfirst into something which is not your affair and potentially unsafe?"

"Well yes, that's about the gist of it." James replied affably, off of a nod of encouragement from Sirius, who was slipping the deck back into his pocket.

"You don't have to come." Sirius informed her. "We didn't ask you to, anyway. Don't feel obliged."

Without another word, he and James had exited the compartment, leaving her all alone and in consternation. Lily's jaw clenched at the abrupt rudeness he had just bestowed upon her. She _hated_ to be excluded from anything. After a moment of internal conflict of whether to follow them on their undoubtedly foolhardy mission, she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Boys." Lily muttered, and hurried after them.

* * *

"Hey!" Sirius shouted, entering the problem compartment. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Leave him alone!" James ordered, equally fierce, glaring contemptuously at the scene which befell them.

A young boy, desperately in need of haircut, attired in the shabbiest robes James had ever seen, stood in the middle of a throng of much older boys, any possible exit cut off. A fresh bruise was mounting on his cheek, and he held up his hands above his head, blocking his face with his arms, in a defensive posture. One of his attackers looked a great deal like the dark-haired boy who had been harassing Lily earlier, the one Sirius had referred to as "Rabastan", except this person was certainly much older, most likely a seventh year. Rabastan's brother perhaps?

Slightly aloof from the ring of physical abusers, stood a self-assured, cocky-looking fellow with a cruel sneer and a shock of long, white-blond hair. He held his wand in one hand, while he twirled what was undoubtedly the shabbily dressed boy's wand in his other hand. All eyes turned toward James and Sirius upon their entry; the stocky youth who looked like an older version of Rabastan froze with his fist midway to the defenseless target of his vitriol.

James' mouth dropped open in shock. He recognized the boy they were using for a punching bag! Evidently, so did both Sirius, and the boy himself. Sirius' face split into a grin, while the boy let out a low, disconsolate moan.

"You're Remoose!" Sirius exclaimed.

The boy closed his eyes for a moment, his form sagging slightly.

James jabbed him in the ribs, and Sirius amended the exclamation. "No, I mean, Remus! Remus, yeah, that's it!" Sirius beamed at the boy. "Don't you recognize us?"

"All to well." Remus frowned at him; it was definitely not the reaction Sirius expected.

"We're here to save you!" Sirius added enthusiastically; as if this would make everything better, solve every problem, simply by saying so.

Remus grimaced. "I think I'd rather take my chances here."

Sirius' smile faded; hurt appeared in his stormy gray eyes. "Aren't you glad to see us?"

Remus did not have to dignify that question with an answer, for the boy who looked like Rabastan had stepped out from amongst the throng. "Get out of here you lot." He growled. "Or else we can make things unpleasant for you, too."

"I don't think so!" Lily announced, storming into the room. "We could probably make things a great deal more unpleasant for you, too. Leave him alone."

The boy looked her up and down, a derisive grin on his face. "I'm sure. And what is a filthy little mudblood like you going to do about it?"

Lily shoved past James pour forth all of the power of her formidable glare upon him. "Plenty. Just ask your little brother."

Rabastan's brother roared at the comment and looked as if he was about to spring forth and attack her himself, until he was stilled by a single command of "stop" from the boy with the long blond hair.

"Stop. Rodolphus, calm yourself. Let me handle it."

"I should have guessed it would be you leading the attack, Lucius." Sirius spat out.

The boy, Lucius Malfoy, froze for an instant before regaining his composure. He flipped his long blond hair over his shoulder and smiled warmly at Sirius. "Ah, Sirius Black. What a surprise." He turned to Rodolphus and the rest of his crew, to say by way of explanation, "this is Sirius, Andromeda's dear younger cousin." Lucius turned back to Sirius. "Now, any friend of Andromeda's is a friend of mine, and as her blood, bound by ties of family, you are even closer to her. I would not think to offend a relation of such a beauty as she. Come, what is it that you wish, Sirius?" He asked silkily.

Sirius curled his lip in disgust at Lucius' manner. "That you leave Remus alone, _Lucius_."

"Done." Lucius clapped his hands and Remus was released and ushered—well, more like shoved—forward. "Anything else?"

James and Lily gaped at Sirius, watching to see what he would say next.

Sirius was all-too-aware of the astonished gazes of everyone else upon him, as he thought fast for another condition. "And none of you bothers Lily any more." He added. Lily made a noise of protest, but James pulled her back and shushed her.

Lucius frowned slightly. "Truly? You wish to protect a mudblood? Surely you jest. Now, a poor little half-blood—and an odd one at that—I could understand, but a mudblood? What _would_ your mother say?"

"To hell with what my mother says. That's none of your business, now is it?"

Lucius gave him a mirthless grin. "Surely not. But why the mudblood?"

"She is my friend. As is Remus."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Well then to be sure, they will have no further problems from us. Although, I caution you in your choice of friends, especially at so young an age. This one, this half-breed," Lucius nodded at Remus, "he is of the poorest and most detached families of the wizarding world. My father says it is suspected that there is something _odd_ about him."

"That is of no consequence." Sirius bit off. "You will leave him alone." It was an order, not a question.

"Yes, as long as, well, as long as you do not inform Andromeda of this whole affair. There is no need to get her involved in a man-to-man confrontational situation."

"Of course." Sirius replied.

"Then we understand each other." With a cursory nod to Sirius and James in turn, he gestured to his friends and the group trudged out of the compartment.

"How did you do that?" James hissed at him. "How did you just get him to let go of Remus?"

"Because fancies my cousin." Sirius responded disgustedly. "He wants me to put in a good word."

Lily snorted. "Boys. You're all the same. Will do anything for a girl."

"You just wish there were boys that smitten with you." Sirius shot back, as he walked over towards Remus. "See, I told you we'd save you!"

Remus glared at him. "Yes, I'm sure. _Save me_. Good one. What are you really here to do? Destroy my books? Throw them about and dirty them, maybe rip out their pages? Punch me on the left side of my face? After all, that side did not get nearly enough of a beating to match the right. Or, no, wait! I know! You're here to push me off the side of the train, aren't you? Onto the tracks below. Perfect. Splendid. Let's commence with it, shall we?" Remus ranted scathingly.

Sirius gaped at him, shocked and confused. Before he could formulate a response, Remus had gone on.

"Save it." Remus snapped, his face flushing with embarrassment and anger. "I don't _need_ _your help_. I don't need your _pity_. I don't need you to go about saving me. Matter of fact, I would rather you didn't try. You don't seem the type whose supposed saving actually improves the quality of life."

With that, Remus stormed out of the compartment, leaving Sirius, James, and Lily wondering what had just transpired.

* * *

A/N: I am so sorry about taking so long to update! I was camping and the day after that was over, I had to go right to school to move in and start the new semester. Thus I have had very little time to just write non-school related stuff. I will try to update all of my stories as soon as is possible. ;) Thanks to everyone who has reviewed; please continue to do so!


	16. Tea with Shakespeare

Sirius' face contorted in consternation. "What was that all about?"

"Er, just a guess mate, but it seems he thinks you're a bit of an arse." James responded.

Sirius glared at him. "Am not."

"Actually, you do have some qualities that when combined tend to make a person fall into the category of 'arse'." Lily offered.

Sirius gave her a glare as well, flexing that inherited haughty Black attitude. He liked glaring; a good glare always got your point across perfectly. Often it seemed a good, strong, steely glare could get him almost anything. "No one asked you, Evans. And anyway, try speaking like a regular kid. No one talks like that."

"Oh yeah?" Lily crossed her arms and jutted out her chin. "I do."

"Well no one _normal_ talks like that."

"And since when did you become the expert on normality?"

"Since…ever."

"That didn't even make any sense."

"To you, maybe."

"Actually, I have to agree with her, mate. That was pretty, er—" James frowned, searching for the right word.

"Incoherent?" Lily suggested.

"Yes, that's it! That's the word!" He smiled eagerly at her, a smile she did not return.

"I can't believe you! Well you, _Jamsie boy_, are officially a _traitor_! TRAITOR! You hear? I officially disown you! And this—this girl, whose name I dare not speak, is _unnormal_. So unnormal that the word defies definition! For shame! You are both dead to me now! Dead to me forever!" Sirius threw up his hands in evident distress and fell back into the nearest seat, evidently battling a great deal of inner turmoil.

"Oh, please." Lily retorted, rolling her eyes. "'Unnormal' isn't even a word."

Sirius returned from his "swoon." "Yeah? Well—_so's your face_!"

"WHAT?" She shrieked, outraged at this blatant abuse of the English language, and both irritated and unsure about how to react to such a juvenile exclamation.

Sirius smirked at her, knowing he had hit her where it hurt most. She seemed like the sort of girl that needed everything ordered, even her insults. She couldn't fathom the corporeal bundle of chaos that was Sirius, and probably never would be able to. Sirius knew she realized that as well, and was undoubtedly irritated by it.

"You're insane. Barking mad, really." Lily stated flatly, raising her chin and purposely turning her back on him.

Sirius grinned at her. "Thanks for the compliment, m'dear." He chuckled at the baffled look Lily cast his way in response, before turning abruptly to James. "So what's this bloke's problem with me?"

"But I thought I was 'a traitor', 'disowned' and apparently dead to you 'forever'." James asked wryly, smirking slightly.

"Fine, you are officially now un-disowned. So what do you think that bloke's problem with me is?"

"Whose problem with you? Lily's?" James asked, frowning.

"Hey, I'm _right here_!" Lily exclaimed. "And I'm _not_ a bloke." She added as an afterthought.

Sirius raised his eyebrow. "It seems someone has a complex. Actually, contrary to popular belief, the world doesn't revolve around you."

"Nor does it revolve around _you_."

"See, that's exactly what I mean! No one uses the word 'nor'! Honestly, you're like a 50-year-old in an 11-year-old's body."

"_Shakespeare_ used the word 'nor'. And he's one of the greatest writers of our time."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Shakespeare was not 11 when he used the word 'nor'. He was _old_. Like in his twenties or thirties old!"

Lily sneered. "How do you know Shakespeare didn't use 'nor' when he was 11? Did you know him personally?"

"Oh, yes, we're old friends. He's a jolly good chap. Great talk about murder over tea, don't you know? Fascinating fellow, really. It is suspected I was the inspiration for Hamlet."

Lily snorted. "Puck more like."

"Don't be jealous because I had tea with Shakespeare!"

"You did not have _tea_ _with Shakespeare_!"

"Show's how much you know!"

"Guys! Hey!" James cut in. "I can honestly say that I have never met two people who bicker more in their first half-hour of knowing one another than you two!" He paused for a moment, a horrified expression coming over his face. "Oh, God, I'm the one trying to inject sense here. Why am I trying to inject sense?"

"Because the world is coming to an end, apparently." Lily responded. "Apocalypse is nigh."

"There you go again!" Sirius cried out. "There you go again with your fluffy Shakespearean words to mock us all! 'Nigh'! What the hell does that even mean?"

"'Soon' or 'near'."

"Then why couldn't you just say 'soon'?"

"Because it's a saying!"

"You are not of this planet, Lily Evans."

"You're one to talk!"

James put his head in his hands. "What about Remus?" He mumbled.

"What was that, mate?" Sirius asked, holding up his hand in a gesture for Lily to stay silent. She bristled at the gesticulation.

"What are we going to do about Remus?" James said aloud.

Sirius sagged noticeably. "Make up with him, I suppose. For whatever we did wrong."

"Whatever _you_ did wrong." Lily interjected, casting a challenging look Sirius' way.

"For your information, missy, I was using the 'royal we'."

"'Missy'? Who are you calling 'missy'?"

"I'd have thought that was obvious, _missy_."

Lily scowled at him. "I don't—"

"REMUS!" James shouted, jumping up and down slightly. "WHAT ABOUT REMUS!"

Sirius and Lily stared at him for a moment.

"Calm down, mate." Sirius said, with a frown. "What climbed up into your trousers and died?"

Lily snickered.

"Nothing climbed—look we're getting off task again. Horribly off task. So off task that I can no longer see the task from where I am standing. The task is in Kigali! What're we going to do about Remus?"

Sirius shrugged, more concerned about a) where Kigali was, and b) how James knew where Kigali was. "Push him off the train?" He suggested.

Lily gasped. "Sirius, that's horrible!"

Even James looked disdainful, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Hey, don't look at me like that! Remoose suggested it himself."

"Remus!" Lily corrected sharply. "Honestly, how hard is it to remember his real name?"

"Names don't matter to me unless they're attached to someone important to me."

"If you're advocating throwing him from the train, I would think you'd have the decency to at least learn his name."

"Shoving, not throwing. There's a subtle difference. Throwing someone from the train would be horrible. It would be barbaric."

"Boys." Lily muttered.

"Hey, don't lump me in with him!" James protested. "Besides, this isn't helping the situation any. Any ideas about how we can get Remus not pissed at us anymore?"

Silence descended upon the group. Everyone cast shifty looks to one another, with no one thinking of a reasonable resolution to the problem.

"I don't know about you two, but the 'pushing him from the train' suggestion is looking pretty good right about now."

"Why don't we just track him down and apologize?" James piped up abruptly. "And keep apologizing until he forgive us."

"And becomes our undying man-slave?" Sirius asked eagerly.

"You're a horrible person." Lily informed him.

"You're just jealous that I had tea with Shakespeare."

"You did not—Sirius, he died ages before you were even _conceived_!"

Sirius covered his ears with his hands. "La la la, I'm not listening. I'm not listening to the pathetic sounds of jealousy."

"Ugh! You're mental!" Lily shrieked. "Both of you!"

"What did I do?" James exclaimed, wounded.

"You—you're his sidekick!" She snapped. "I'm going to go find him, and save my sanity in the process."

"I'm not his sidekick! If anything he's _my_ sidekick!" James protested, following Lily out of the compartment.

"Sirius Black is nobody's sidekick." Sirius announced, only to find there was no one to listen to him. "And that girl is mental. Not me." He added for good measure.

* * *

A/N: Wow, I did not intend for the train ride and pre-Hogwarts action to be so long. I think I will rename this story and have go up to the Marauders arriving for their first year at Hogwarts, and create a new story after it, entitled "The Early Years of the Marauders" for all of the events from Hogwarts onward.


	17. Tentative Truce

"REMUS!" Sirius' loud, strident voice rang out. "There you are! Guys, he's in here!"

"Oh God." Remus muttered, leaping from his seat and glancing about for the closest available exit.

"Nu-uh, you're not leaving." Sirius informed him, blocking the entranceway, arms crossed over his chest. "Not until we talk." He said boldly, stepping aside only to admit Lily and James.

"Talk? Talk about what? About nearly throwing me from the train?"

"I'm sure we can all agree that I would _never_ throw anyone from a train. That would be horrible and barbaric, as I affirmed earlier. Shoving is much more my style." Sirius said with a half-smile, relaxing his stance, edging closer to Remus.

"Well, it's nice to know you have standards." Remus retorted scathingly, backing away from him.

Sirius preened. "Well I—"

"Except either way it ends up with you trying to kill me."

Sirius face fell into its natural glaring state. "No! You just—you're an idiot."

"Oh, I see, can't hurt me with a physical maneuver so you'll try a verbal sparring? That it?"

Sirius glowered and advanced on him, leaving the doorway unattended. "Oh, I could hurt you physically if I—"

Remus's eyes glittered at the prospect of escape and he made a break for the door, but Sirius was not about to let him get away with that. Sirius spun around, jumped up, and slammed into Remus, wrapping one arm across his chest and tackling the much smaller boy to the ground, the two of them rolling out into the hallway. Remus went down hard, ripping his jeans, skinning his elbows, scraping his chin, landing with his face buried in the carpeted floor, with Sirius on top of him. Sirius pulled himself into a sitting position on Remus' back, and beamed up at James and Lily proudly.  
"I got him! LOOK! I GOT HIM!" He announced proudly, before adding to Remus, "Now you _have_ to listen to me."

"HELP! He's trying to _kill_ _me_!" Remus cried out, trying his best to shove Sirius off of him, writhing wildly. "DO SOMETHING!"

"I am _not_! James, tell him I'm not trying to kill anyone, least of all him!"

"He's _lying_! I heard him! He said he was—"

"No, _you're_ lying! Big liar!" Sirius retorted, glaring down at the boy trapped underneath him. "And you're stupid! Why would I risk going to Azkaban by killing a year-mate?" Sirius muttered under his breath, "Mental, this one."

"Maybe we'd be a little more inclined to believe you, were you not pinning him to the ground." Lily drawled. "And I would imagine killing anyone would be illegal, not just a year-mate."

"Or maybe we'd believe you more easily if your track record was better. It does seem mightily like you're trying to kill him." James noted, raising an eyebrow as he took in the scene.

"Oh! Sirius, he's bleeding!" Lily exclaimed. "Get up off him!"

"Yes, get off of me!" Remus snapped, writhing again.

"No!" Sirius said stubbornly, shaking his head vehemently. "He's just gonna run away again."

"Not if my patellae are broken." Remus grunted into the carpet.

"Sirius!"

"Fine, Lily, fine, but if he runs away, you'll have to tackle him next. Let that fester away on your conscience."

"Sometimes—no always—you're absolutely ridiculous!"

"How can I always be ridiculous if you've only known me for a half-hour? Didn't your parents ever teach you it's not polite to jump to conclusions?"

"And didn't your parents ever teach you it's not polite to tackle people to the ground? Especially those you _don't even know_?"

"Well didn't you parents ever teach you not to be a—"

"Hey, I'm sorry to break up your fun, but can we please continue this quarrel after I've made sure all of my bones are in tact? And after I have regained the sanctity of having personal space. This is much to close to comfort."

Sirius looked down at his suspiciously. "Promise you won't run away if I let you up?"

"Sure."

Sirius cocked his head to one side. "I think you're lying."

"Welcome to the club."

Something in this bitter remark must have resonated with Sirius somehow, for he nodded approvingly and slowly got up off of him. He even held out a hand to Remus, which the boy—not unsurprisingly—ignored. "You're bitter and amusing. I like you."

"Well, that makes one of us. Although I would imagine it would be evident from the fact that you completely shed all pretense of respecting personal space."

Lily chuckled. "I think he's just like that."

"Unsurprising." Remus responded, sitting up slowly and gingerly prodding at his ribs. He gave Sirius a quick once over, face expressionless, eyes impassive. "Most likely stemming from an inconsistent maternal bonding process."

"I was thinking that."

"Shut up! You don't know my mother."

James quickly seized Sirius around the waist. "Hey, calm down. Emotions are all crazy now, and let's not make any hasty judgments. How about apologies all around and then we can all start ov—" James paused, looking horrified. "Oh God, I'm turning into my mother. Never mind! Keep on fighting. Anarchy, everyone!"

Lily smirked. It seemed as if Sirius was not the only one with mother issues.

"No, it's all right. I'll acquiesce to be the bigger person here." Remus said with a sigh. "I am sorry, er, Serious, but being almost thrown from a train and later tackled to the ground tends to foster ill will in a person."

"Hey, I did _not_ throw you from the train! It was a push, and by accident, and sorry about that. But you were going to leave and I would tackle you to the ground again in a heartbeat if you weren't listening to me. So I'm not sorry for that." Sirius informed him, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can and will do it again."

"That's as good an apology as you'll ever get from him." James affirmed with a shrug. "Take it or leave it."

"I suppose I shall have to take it, lest I get tackled again and bruise the left side of my body."

Sirius grinned. "Exactly. You know the way I think."

"A fact which does not in any way make me relieved, but rather scares me quite a bit."

"You'll get used to it. Everyone does."

"Which is what I'm afraid of."

Sirius laughed and jovially slapped him on the back, not noticing Remus' wince and audible "oof" as he unknowingly hit Remus just a bit too roughly. "So, now that we're friends—"

"I don't know if I would say—" Remus began, only to be characteristically interrupted by the more excitable youth.

"You've got to come back to our compartment and we can get to know you and tell stories about how we found out we had magic and stuff! It'll be great fun!"

"Oh yes, er, great fun." Remus responded halfheartedly as Sirius steered him out of the compartment with an arm around his shoulders.

Lily sighed, remarking to James, "Is it possible for him to finish a complete, succinct, grammatically correct sentence? One that is certifiably _not_ a run-on?"

"Probably not." James replied cheerfully, wisely choosing not to admit that Lily's own statement was in the realm of 'run-on sentence'. He felt it probably would not help matters.

* * *

"So how did _I_ find out I was the dashing wizard you all now see in front of you?" Sirius asked boisterously, grinning broadly. "It's a fascinating, thrilling tale of intrigue, I assure you. You will all be quite spellbound, I am certain, and if you are not it could only mean that you do not have a heart or a sense of adventure. Or an appreciation for good storytelling."

Lily rolled her eyes. "If the story is so amazing, then why have you not begun telling it already? How long is the prologue, already?"

"Patience is a virtue, my dear—"

"I am not your 'dear' and if you don't quit boring us with the prelude and start the story already, than I'll just—"

"OK, OK. Well, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls—"

"_Honestly_." Lily muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

"Well, as with any epic tale of adventure and daring intrigue and heroics, our tale begins with an invocation to the muse—"

"SIRIUS!" Lily, James, and Remus exclaimed.

"OK, fine! So it all started one hot summer day six years ago when the dashing hero—yours truly—and his hot-tempered cousin Andromeda were climbing a tree in the pursuit of leisure…"

_Summer, 1953_

"_Haha! I can climb higher than you, Meda!" Sirius cried out triumphantly, swinging onto a high branch of the old oak tree in spacious backyard of Number 12, Grimmauld Place._

"_Whatever! We're not even racing!" Andromeda snapped, hitching up her skirt and climbing higher, clearly attempting to draw even with her cousin._

"_Are so! I called it!" Sirius protested, stormy gray eyes glaring down at her from behind a mane of black hair._

"_You're such a little kid, Siri!"_

"_I know you are, but what am I?" Sirius responded petulantly. "You're just jealous that you are a bad climber." He stuck out his tongue at her and stepped up to the next branch._

"_I'm not a bad climber—as if there even is such a thing—it's this stupid skirt! You'd climb slower if you were encumbered by a skirt!"_

"_Why'd you wear the skirt then?"_

"_Because mom forces all of the Black girls to wear them when we're out in public. Believe me, I'd much rather slither up there in trousers."_

"_That's stupid."_

"_You're stupid."_

"_Nuh-uh! You're the stupid one because everyone knows it's stupid to wear a skirt when you're climbing trees and now you're just trying to make excuses. Just accept that I'm better than you!"_

"_You…are…not!" Andromeda roared. She gritted her teeth, hitched up her skirt again, and quickly covered the distance between she and Sirius, not caring that the branches ripped her skirt and caused runs in her stockings._

_Sirius shrieked when he saw her coming up quickly, knowing he was about to be attacked by the older girl for his taunting. He swung himself up higher, balancing precariously by standing up on one of the topmost branches. "Hey, I can see the city from he—"_

"_Gotcha!" Andromeda exclaimed, leaping towards him and grabbing at him._

_Sirius tried to back away from her, but at the same time her hands closed around his thigh and he overbalanced. "Argh!" Sirius cried out as his footing slipped on the branch. He flapped his arms wildly, almost comically, for a moment before falling back, off the branch…_

"_SIRIUS!" Andromeda screamed, making a mad grab for him and missing completely._

_Sirius crashed down through the mass of branches, flailing helplessly as branches lacerated and bruised his bare skin, some breaking as his weight smashed into them. His body came into contact with a particularly nasty branch, halting his descent for a moment. There was a loud cracking sound as his back arched against it, causing him to jerk his head back so roughly Andromeda feared he had snapped his neck._

"_MOM!" She bellowed at the top of her lungs. "MOM! DAD! AUNTIE!"_

* * *

A/N:Yes, I am finally back at school and have balanced out my schedule so that I can write again. Thanks for bearing with me:) I am so sorry the update took so long, but there were intervening circumstances beyond my control...the next updates should not take as long, I promise. :)

I will proceed to reveal stories of the characters' childhoods during the remaining duration of the train ride, so tell me your opinion of that format. I hope you enjoyed this installment, and please tell me what you think!


	18. Relative Rivalry

"_MUM!" Andromeda bellowed at the top of her lungs. "MUM! UNCLE! AUNTIE!"_

_Just when she thought he was a goner for sure, it was then that the most astounding thing happened. There was a flash of blinding blue light and the next thing Andromeda knew, Sirius was still falling, but was suddenly attired head to toe in fitted full metal body armor, in a classic medieval knight style._

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait!" Lily exclaimed, throwing out a hand. "You magicked yourself armor?"

"Yes." Sirius responded simply. "Can I finish now?"

"No, not yet! I just don't understand why, of all things, when you are falling, about to break your neck, you would conjure a suit of armor! Why not a parachute?"

"A para-what?"

"It's a muggle construction." Remus explained. "It's strapped onto your back in a heavy pack-formation, and when special straps are pulled upon it arrests your descent."

"Oh! In a pack like a flamethrower?"

Remus shook his head. "You _would_ understand that invention."

"It is just—ridiculous, is all!" Lily burst out. "I mean, who does that?"

"I do!" Sirius retorted. "And you are ruining my story!"

"I just—it's lunacy, quite frankly."

Sirius glared at her. "Are you done yet? Your questions will be answered as we proceed. Good things come to those who don't pester me—I'm sure the saying goes something like that."

Lily raised an eyebrow but gestured for him to continue.

"Now where were we? Oh, yes, your gray-eyed hero was falling to his certain impending death until he instinctually conjured up a suit of armor to protect him—"

* * *

_The armor was surprisingly heavy, and actually expedited Sirius' descent. He smashed through the rest of the branches, and just when he seemed about to hit the ground…he bounced! He bounced up again and a little ways down the yard, just as the family came spilling out of the house, prompted by Andromeda's screams._

"_What was that awful racket?" Walburga, the Black matriarch, demanded, storming out of the house. "Nothing could possibly warrant such—such caterwauling! What will the neighbors think?"_

"_Sirius!" Alphard exclaimed, rushing over to Sirius who was lying on the ground, unmoving. He was the only adult to actually come right over to Sirius._

"_Don't coddle him, Alphard! He's probably faking." Orion called out. "It wouldn't be the first time."_

"_Look!" Regulus shrieked, eyes wide with excitement. "Look!" He raced over to his brother and laughed, clapping his hands excitedly and practically dancing around Sirius' prone form. "You fall funny!"_

"_Shut up!" Sirius grumbled, managing to swat at him with his good hand. Regulus yelped and darted back behind his mother._

"_How are you doing, Sirius?" Alphard asked, kneeling down next to him, offering aid. He gently removed Sirius' helmet, gazing at it with a mixture of mystification and amusement. "That was quite a fall." Alphard took out his wand and vanished the armor so that Sirius was no longer weighed down._

_Sirius sat up slowly, gingerly, beaming through the blood gushing down his face. "That was…_fantastic_! I felt like the air was all rushing by me and I could see a blur of images and—"_

_"Metal body armor?" Andromeda shrieked as she clambered down the tree, practically tumbling to the ground on her hands and knees. "I thought you broke your neck!"_

"_It always saved the knights." Sirius responded simply. "In books they wore armor for protection."_

"_In battle! In war, when they are being torn about by swords, not when they are idiotically falling out of a tree! And you are not a knight!"_

"_We have very different definitions of 'battle' then. And how do you know I'm not a knight?" Sirius told her with a smirk. "And I did not 'idiotically fall out of a tree'. You pushed me!"_

"_Did not!"_

"_Did so!"_

"_No matter if it was a push or clumsiness— and I am inclined to believe the latter—at least it appears you aren't a squib like your Great Uncle Marius." Walburga remarked approvingly, staring down at Sirius with her arms crossed over her chest. "That is quite an improvement."_

"_Perhaps our son might not turn out to be the disappointment we thought he was." Orion mused, watching detachedly while his brother, Alphard helped Sirius up. "Alphard, let him lie. He can get up himself, he's just being lazy. Come, be a man, Sirius."_

_Alphard ignored his brother-in-law and proceeded to help his nephew get unsteadily to his feet. He was used to his family's relative callousness towards children, and especially towards Sirius for some reason. Personally, he had always cared for the lad. The boy had spirit. "Are you sure you're alright, Sirius?"_

_Sirius nodded, sending flecks of blood flying. "Yeah,er, I guess. Do you think I'll get a scar? Because that would be brilliant!"_

_Alphard laughed heartily. "We'll see. We should probably focus on getting your arm set and getting you all cleaned up first, before considering the merits of battle scars."_

_Bellatrix came close enough to survey Sirius. The gangling 14-year-old sniffed, casting him a look of utter disdain. "I hope that hurt."_

"_Bella!" Alphard exclaimed, aghast._

_Sirius glared back at her. "I'm sure you do."_

"_Your arm appears broken. I've heard that is quite an excruciating pain."_

"_I can withstand pain." Sirius retorted, through gritted teeth._

"_I would hope so, were I you."_

"_That's about enough of that." Alphard snapped, silencing both of them with the patented Black Glare, much stronger than either Sirius or Bellatrix could muster, perfected over many more years of life. "Bella, why don't you go and take Regulus inside—this sort of bone mending can be gruesome to witness by a child of his age."_

"_Fine, Uncle. It's not like I want to spend my entire day fawning over Ickle Sirius for his incredible acts of stupidity."_

"_Not acts! It was only _one_ act of stupidity! And it wasn't _my fault_! It wasn't _my stupidity_!"_

"_Same difference." Bellatrix responded, rolling her eyes. "Come, you." She growled to Regulus, seizing his hand and practically dragging him back into the house. "You'll get to see Sirius in pain on many other occasions, I'm sure."_

"_Bella, why don't you fix Regulus up a little snack, to distract him from all of this?" Druella called out idly as Bellatrix stormed past._

"_Yes, mum, that's what I intended." Bellatrix flashed her a charming smile, which faded into a scowl the instant she passed by the adults._

"_Such a wonderful, charming girl." Walburga remarked, turning up the edges of her lips in her version of a smile. "You and Cyngus are lucky to have her. I always wanted a daughter…and yet, I received Sirius." Her tone turned slightly sour at Sirius' name. "And, Regulus, who fares slightly better in my estimation."_

_Sirius, nearby enough to hear every word, frowned and slumped noticeably, prompting Alphard to inquire if he had any more hidden injuries._

_Druella leaned back against the doorframe, surveying the group clustered around Sirius with dismay. "I suppose…children do bore me so…. I am always grateful when you and Orion or your dear brother Alphard offer to take them off of my hands."_

"_I never mind the children of others, it is only my own which are troublesome."_

_Druella smiled. "Isn't that always how it is? It will be so—refreshing when the other two are in Hogwarts—if only I can wait that long!"_

_Both women laughed outright._

"_And as for Bella—she tries, she's a fighter, that can be said—though she will never be so pretty as Narcissa, nor will she ever possibly be as quick as Andromeda, who is just so naturally talented. Bella's disposition often leaves much to be desired. It is a shame really, to have a firstborn so easily outstripped by her siblings. Myself, I see Andromeda has the most potential, she is virtually agreeable in all situations and shall ultimately have the most advantageous marriage—if she can only grow out of her awful habit of trying to follow along with boys."_

"_Bella does has many strengths that the rest of us can see. She is a true Black."_

"_Oh, assuredly. However, she is somewhat of a disappointment when compared to her sisters. Especially beauty-wise. She has unfortunately inherited much of her father's features, and that, combined with her temperament—" Druella sighed. "I did always wish for boys."_

"_You can have Sirius, if you wish." Walburga remarked with a frown. "So disagreeable a boy you will be hard pressed to find."_

_Druella laughed, and was about to respond in kind when she was rudely interrupted. "Mum!" Narcissa cried out. "_Mu-um_! I'm _hot_ out here!" Narcissa whined to Druella, pulling on the sleeves of her mother's robes. _

"_Don't muss the fabric!" Druella curtly pulled the girl's hands from her robes. "_Not now_, Cissy—"_

"_But Mu-um! I'm _so_ bored!"_

"_Adults are talking now, Cissy—"_

"_Mu-um! It's so _boring_ out here! Can't we all just go back inside? _

"_Cissy, _please_! Just—just go play. Or something. Go—go talk to Sirius."_

"_But I _don't want to_!" Narcissa glared at Sirius. "No! It's not fair that I have to stand out here while everyone makes a fuss over him because it's Sirius' own stupid fault that he fell! _Mu-um_!"_

"_Cissy! Your mother is _busy_!"_

"It was not_!" Sirius snarled. "It was your stupid sister's stupid fault!"_

"_I'm not afraid to hit a smart mouth with a broken arm, you know!" Andromeda threatened, balling her hand into a fist. "I'll do it no matter how crippled you are, Sirius!"_

"_Don't blame my sister because you're stupid! Who falls out of trees anyway?" Narcissa laughed derisively, lips curling upwards in disdain. "You're stupider than a squirrel! Squirrels don't even fall out of trees and they climb them _all the time_!"_

"_Hey, that's right! You do have even less sense than a squirrel!"_

"_I do not! And _you_ pushed _me_, Andromeda, and any smart person could tell that!"_

"_Girls!" Alphard shouted, putting a hand to his now aching temples. "In the house, both of you! For shame, treating your cousin so horridly after he had such an ordeal!"_

"_You're the one who's stupid." Andromeda threw back over her shoulder. "And it was your fault that you fell!"_

"_Andromeda—"_

_Andromeda rolled her eyes. "I'm going, OK?" She rolled her eyes. "Come on Cissy, let's leave the baby there to get cared for."_

_The girls' scornful laughed rang in Sirius' ears._

* * *

"And their cold, unforgiving, mean-spirited laughter was like a slow-acting poison to the hero's poor, abused soul." Sirius concluded, dolefully. "And that is the story of how yours truly—"

"What is this?" Andromeda demanded, storming into the compartment, beautiful face twisted with rage. "I come seek you out to make peace and what is this nonsense that I am hearing? Are you attempting to tarnish my good name?"

Sirius snorted. "Your 'good name'. Now, _that's funny_. As I recall, your name was never all that good as of four—"

"Shut up! You know nothing about that instance! You weren't even at Hogwarts then! You were probably at home playing with dolls and drooling onto your picture books."

"OK, a) I never played with dolls, they were Set F of the Commemorative Famous Wizards Action Figures series, and b) I never drool—"

"Oh, is that so?" Andromeda challenged, smiling cruelly. "Care to bet on that? I have plenty of stories about you, Cousin, remember that!"

"You wouldn't!"

"I'm a Black, Sirius, of course I would. Although it seems you're rattling your gums about family business enough for the both of us."

Sirius turned back to his friends and waved his hands in a wide, elaborate gesture. "Hey, who wants to hear about the time Bellatrix's fiancée saw up oh-so-pristine Andromeda's—"

"Low blow, even for you, Sirius! I was eight, Rodolphus was ten, and it was a windy day for climbing—"

"Are they always like this?" Remus remarked, watching the exchange with mingled surprise and amusement.

"From what I can tell." James responded, looking at Andromeda a bit warily.

"It would explain rather a lot."

"I am widely regaled an excellent role model, smart, reliable, one who can always be counted on me for stability—"

Sirius jumped out of his chair. "Unless you're pushing someone out of a tree."

"Not fair! You were six and I was bored and it's not like you died."

"Ah-hah!" Sirius cried out, jumping up excitedly. "So you admit that you pushed me?"

"Fine! Yes, I did push you! Happy? In fact, if I hadn't pushed you, we would never have found out you actually weren't a squib. So really, I did you a favor."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the comic styling of my brethren, Cousin Andromeda!"

"I am profoundly glad that I am an only child." Remus remarked.

"I second that." James agreed.

Lily sighed, slumping in her seat. "Were I to be that lucky!"

Remus entertained the bickering for several more minutes before he felt he had to intervene, if just to give his tired mind a break from the seemingly endless assault. "Er, as much as I really hate to break up what seems likely to become a new Wizarding War, spanning the ages and defining a generation, maybe it would be best to focus on Sirius' original, if misguided idea. An attempt at storytelling as a form of distraction from the long ride, is actually quite an interesting idea, surprisingly sound coming from him."

Sirius and Andromeda ceased fighting mid-sentence, embarrassed to have conducted themselves so in a very public manner. Remus thought for a second that Andromeda was about to punch him—the flush in her face and anger flashing in her eyes made that outcome seem inevitable—though he was pleasantly surprised and very relieved to see her suddenly smile and sit down instead.

"Actually, that is a good idea, and while I am personally shocked that my little cousin could come up with it, I suppose I could put aside my astonishment and our little squabble for a bit—"

"No, I know what this is about." Sirius smirked. "You're just trying to find a place to hide out from Lucius for awhile."

"Well he is just so infuriating! He does not comprehend the meaning of 'go away now, you idiot'."

"Ha! I knew it."

"Oh don't be so smug. It's not an admirable quality in one so young."

Sirius jaw clenched but he gestured to Remus. "Since you broke up the fight, why don't you tell the next story? Tell us about how you found out you were a wizard!"

"Me?" Remus responded, instantly alarmed. "Oh, no, I couldn't! No, someone else can go—"

"I'll go." James offered. "This story begins quite a deal earlier than the now infamous incident of our gray-eyed comrade. Actually, I don't even really remember all of it, as I was so young at the time, but I will do my best to reconstruct it in vivid detail from the many retellings of the instance by my parents. Brace yourselves accordingly."

* * *

A/N: Next up: James' story! I hope you liked this chapter! I tried to look at some of the reasons why Sirius, Andromeda, Bellatrix, and Narcissa are they way they have ultimately turned out. Also, with the publication of The Black Family Tree up at the Lexicon, I will be altering the names of Sirius' family (such as his mother) accordingly in older chapters.


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